


Something New

by Sammyjjong



Category: SHINee
Genre: Assassin AU, Attempted Murder, Faked Suicide, Guns, Gunshot Wounds, Knives, M/M, Minor Character Death, Murder, Paranoia, Roommates, Violence, but the city has secrets and jinki gets paranoid, in which jinki moves to the city and has a really nice roommate who also happens to be really hot, slight minkey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:14:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 44
Words: 34,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23485876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sammyjjong/pseuds/Sammyjjong
Summary: Sometimes, you have to take risks, and moving into the city is a risk Jinki has always wanted to take, but maybe it was a lot riskier than he thought. When people start dying around town, Jinki becomes scared he may know who's behind it.
Relationships: Choi Minho/Lee Jinki | Onew, Kim Jonghyun/Kim Kibum | Key, Kim Jonghyun/Lee Taemin
Kudos: 7





	1. When You Knock

The taxi pulled to a stop and a smile pulled at Jinki’s lips. He handed the driver his pay and thanked him for the ride, then stepped out of the car and went to retrieve his bags. The weight of the luggage didn’t bother him as the happiness of arriving at his new home washed over him. He headed into the apartment complex and up to the fourth floor, reading each door’s number until he finally reached the one his phone read. He slid his phone into his pocket and knocked on the door.

A taller man opened the door somewhat cautiously, “Hello? Are you Jinki?”

Jinki nodded, “Minho?”

He opened the door the rest of the way, “Welcome, let me take one of these” Minho smiled and reached for the guitar case.

“Thank you, sorry I’m a little late, traffic was bad” Jinki let Minho lead him further into the apartment.

“That’s how it always is, it’s no problem” Minho closed the door behind them, locking it, and turned to show Jinki to his room, “Mine’s at the end of the hall, but your room is the first door on the right”

“Okay, is there an extra key I could have?” Jinki asked as he started taking his things into his new room.

“Yeah, it’s on the kitchen table, do you need help unpacking?” The two set down the luggage in the semi-vacant room.

“I think I’ll be fine, I don’t have much. I hope we can become great friends!” Jinki smiled and Minho chuckled softly.

“I’m sure we will, now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready for work” Jinki nodded and Minho turned to leave.

“If you don’t mind me asking, where do you work?” Minho turned around and smiled slightly.

“I work for a law firm, I’ll probably be home late so don’t get scared if you hear the door open late at night” Minho answered playfully and began to walk away before Jinki could say anything else.

Jinki just shrugged it off and began to unpack his clothes, deciding once he was done and Minho had left that he would have some fun. He had finally gotten to move to the city, and he couldn’t wait to start building what he considered his new life.

Once he heard the door open and close, he pulled out his phone and dialed his close friend Jonghyun.

“Hello?” Jonghyun’s voice came through Jinki’s phone.

“I’m probably half unpacked, but I wanted to hang out before we ran out of daylight” Jinki told him.

“We could go to my favorite boba place and catch up” Jonghyun suggested and Jinki found himself smiling.

“I’d love too, it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other, I'd settle for sitting on the side of the road with a few cans of beer” Jinki heard Jonghyun laugh on the other end.

“Well that is cheaper, but I’d rather show you around a little. Text me your address and I’ll meet you outside your apartment building” Jonghyun told him and Jinki agreed.

They said their goodbyes and Jinki sent the address, he also made sure to pick up the spare key before he went downstairs to wait for Jonghyun.

Luckily for Jinki, the wait wasn’t long.

“Jinki!” Jonghyun’s voice hit his ears and he smiled, turning to watch as the younger waved and jogged toward him.

“It’s so good to see you!” The two smiled at each other and shared a hug.

“It’s good to see you too, and your place isn’t too far from my shop” Jonghyun pointed up at the complex, “It’s a really nice place”

“Thank you, thankfully my roommate seems nice too” Jinki replied and Jonghyun nodded, “Now take me to this boba place”


	2. In A City Overflowing With Noise

“So, what made you want to move to the city?” Jonghyun asked as he took a sip of his tea.

“I’ve always liked the city and I just kinda needed a change of scenery I guess, something new, y’know?” Jinki watched Jonghyun nod.

“Yeah, I understand that. Who’s your roommate though? Are they cute?” Jonghyun’s question made the older giggle.

“His name is Minho, he seems really nice, I don’t know him super well yet but he’s very polite” Jinki paused and Jonghyun watched in anticipation, “And yeah he’s pretty cute”

“Sounds like the perfect roommate to me” Jonghyun smiled and Jinki agreed.

“He also works at a law firm, it’s no wonder the place is so nice” Jinki added, stirring his tea with his straw.

“You need to figure out when he’s free so you two can get to know each other” Jonghyun gave the older a smug look and Jinki just laughed softly.

“I just want to be his friend, if we become more than that then okay, but for now the goal is friends” Jinki insisted, causing Jonghyun to sigh.

“Fine, but you have to keep me updated” Jonghyun pointed at the older to show he meant it.

“Don’t worry, I will” Jinki smiled fondly at his friend.

They talked for an hour or two, then went their separate ways, the two promising to meet up again soon. Jinki found the quickest route home, practically jogging there to beat the cold. As he got closer to his apartment, he heard what sounded like an argument, he guessed the neighbors were having problems and unlocked his door. When he opened it, he realized the yelling was coming from his apartment.

“You can’t just take my work! You’re going to get  _ both  _ of us fired!” Jinki only semi-recognized Minho’s voice.

“You’re just mad because I’m better at it than you! I would’ve gotten the assignment but you begged for it!” The second voice shot back and Jinki was on edge.

The apartment fell silent once Jinki shut the door a little louder than he wanted to. He heard two pairs of footsteps start to come toward him.

“Minho?” Jinki asked, frozen in his spot.

He watched as Minho emerged from the hallway, followed by a man Jinki’s height who looked as if he was reaching for something behind his back.

“Jinki, I’m sorry, I got off early and it seems some work came with me” Minho explained and glared at the other man, “Jinki, this is Kibum, my coworker. Kibum, this is Jinki, my new roommate”

Kibum smiled then, his hand coming out from behind him to shake Jinki’s hand, “It’s nice to meet you, Jinki”

Jinki accepted the handshake and smiled back at him, “Nice to meet you too!”

“I’m sorry if we were loud, we can be kind of competitive when it comes to our work” Kibum put both hands in his pockets.

“It’s fine, I was just startled, I didn’t realize working for a law firm could be so intense” Jinki laughed a little nervously as he felt Kibum’s eyes scanning him.

“We just take our job really seriously, we didn’t mean to scare you” Minho apologized and Jinki smiled at him.

“It’s okay, I understand” Jinki reassured and now Minho was smiling back at him.

“Well, I better get going, I’ll see you tomorrow” Kibum smiled somewhat mischievously at Minho, “And I’ll see you again soon” The same smile but with a little sincerity behind it now aimed at Jinki.

“I’ve taken tomorrow off, I’ll see you Thursday” Minho corrected and Kibum hummed.

“Until next time! Thanks for having me over” Kibum left with that note, and Minho locked the door after him.

“He seems nice” Jinki spoke up.

“He can be when he wants to be” Minho told him and moved to sit on the couch.

“Did you meet through work?” Jinki asked and Minho sighed.

“Yeah, something like that, and you may not be able to tell, but we’re the best of friends” Minho laughed at his own statement.

“Best friends who yell at each other over work, I can believe that” Jinki hung up his coat and went to sit down beside Minho.

“He’s my closest friend, that’s probably why he gets under my skin so much” Minho smiled at the thought, then the smile faded, “He’s my only friend”


	3. You Don't Need To Work Hard

“Well, now you’ve got me too! We may not be very close, but I’d love to be your friend” Jinki smiled at him and a small sad smile pulled at Minho’s lips.

“Thank you Jinki, that’s really kind of you” Minho told him, but an irritated look crossed his face as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

He scanned the notification, then sighed and slipped it back into his pocket.

“What is it?” Jinki asked, noticing the upset look on his face.

“Just Kibum, bothering me as per usual” Minho answered, then he started to smile, “So, I’m off tomorrow, do you want to have a little tour of the place?”

“That sounds great, and I can see who’s hiring” Jinki watched Minho’s smile get bigger.

“Good, we can go at noon, there’s this great food vendor strip that opens around eleven-thirty, we can get lunch there” Minho suggested and Jinki quickly agreed.

There was a pause between them, and Jinki stood up slowly.

“I’m going to finish unpacking, let me know if you need me” Jinki broke the silence and Minho nodded at him.

He unpacked his personal belongings, setting up his guitar and putting his toiletries where they belong. He was almost done when he heard a light knock on his open door.

“I was thinking of picking up some dinner, is Thai good for you?” Minho asked, looking up from his phone.

Jinki smiled and nodded, “That sounds good, just get me some pad Thai” 

Minho smiled back, “Will do, I’ll be back soon” He left the doorway and Jinki heard the sounds of him grabbing his coat and leaving the apartment.

The time went by slowly, but Jinki didn’t mind the wait, it gave him time to relax on his bed and look through job listings. He was so focused that the door opening almost startled him. 

“I’m back!” Minho announced and Jinki got up and made his way to the kitchen.

When he got into the kitchen he saw Minho transferring the food into bowls, throwing away the styrofoam containers.

“The boxes got soaked in sauce, cups are in the cabinet beside the fridge, help yourself to any of the drinks in there as well” Minho told him, pointing at the cabinet and Jinki nodded grabbing a glass for both of them.

Minho threw away the soaked container, and Jinki didn’t bat an eye as he decided to take out the trash before they ate. Jinki had noticed it was kinda full anyway, so he continued to pour himself some water and grabbed his bowl, sitting down at the small dining table.

Jinki didn’t wait for Minho to get back, as he had realized he was rather hungry, so he just smiled at Minho when he walked back in.

A smokey smell hit Jinki’s nose, “What’s that smell? Was there a fire?”

“Yeah, there was a guy by the dumpster who was burning trash for warmth” Minho sniffed his jacket, “Guess the smell clung to my jacket”

“Nothing a good wash can’t fix” Jinki watched Minho sit down across from him with his food and cup of soda.

“That’s true, how is it?” Minho asked, getting ready to take a bite of his own.

“It’s really good, thank you” Jinki smiled and Minho hummed as he took a bite.

“Mm, I haven’t had this in a while, I’ve missed it” Minho then filled his mouth with food and Jinki thought it was the cutest thing he’d ever seen.

There was a sort of silence as they ate, the two more interested in filling their stomachs rather than the quiet. For the first time, it was Minho who spoke up.

“So, do you have any friends around here?” Minho looked up at Jinki.

“Yeah, my friend Jonghyun moved here a few years back and we kept in touch, I hung out with him today” Jinki smiled at the memory and Minho nodded.

“That’s nice” Jinki heard a notification noise come from Minho’s pocket, Minho sighed and read the notice, “Kibum again”

“You two talk a lot, you really must be close” Jinki said and watched Minho text him back, placing his phone face down on the table.

“He had a question about work, I’m the only one he’s friendly with at work” Minho shrugged it off and Jinki could tell something was bothering him.

“Are you okay?” Jinki was hesitant, not wanting to push him to tell his brand new roommate.

“Yeah, I think so, I’m just a little stressed about work” Minho admitted, not looking up from his food.

“Well that’s what this day off is for, tomorrow you get to relax and forget about work for the day” Jinki tried to cheer him up.

“I wish it were that simple, it’s hard for me to just forget about it, but I’m definitely going to try” Minho smiled softly at his roommate and Jinki smiled back.

“Sometimes that’s all you can do, and that’s okay” Jinki reassured him and Minho nodded.

“Thank you Jinki, you really know how to cheer someone up” Minho looked at Jinki fondly and Jinki could feel himself blush a little.

Day one and he was already falling for him? That sure was fast, Jinki thinks.


	4. It's As If It's A Jungle

“Jinki? Are you ready to go?” Minho’s voice filled the hallway of the apartment.

“Yeah, I’ll be out in a sec” Jinki replies, slipping on a coat and putting things like his phone and wallet in the pockets.

Once he had everything he needed, he headed to the front door, finding Minho in a big winter coat.

“I heard it might snow” He smiled and Jinki thought for once the tall boy looked small.

“Let’s go!” Jinki pointed to the air excitedly and Minho giggled at him.

They headed out of the apartment and Minho led them around the city, finding a street full of people and food trucks. Jinki felt his eyes go wide as he looked at the phenomenon that he had only seen in videos.

“What do you want to try first?” Minho asked and Jinki started to study the trucks to find one that looked interesting.

The two went from truck to truck, trying things from almost all of them. Although Jinki felt bad that Minho paid for everything, he promised himself he wouldn’t worry about it today and would pay him back later. They were at their fifth truck when Jinki heard a rather loud sigh from Minho.

“Oh hey! Minho, Jinki, it’s good to see you again!” Kibum’s voice made Jinki turn around and smile.

“It’s good to see you too!” Jinki replied and noticed Minho almost burning holes into Kibum with his glare.

“What a coincidence that you’re here” Minho spoke up and Kibum met his eyes.

“I just woke up today and decided I wanted some good food, what brings you here?” Kibum asked and Jinki swore they were talking in their heads.

“Uh, Minho is showing me around the city today so this was our first stop” Jinki could almost touch the tension between them.

“How nice of him, you know one of my favorite trucks is down there” Kibum pointed somewhere further down the road, “Taco Drips, they make ice cream tacos, but they said they weren’t going to stay for much longer” Kibum looked at Minho and there was something in that look that only they understood.

“The one with the ice cream tacos, I heard it was good but I never tried it” Minho replied and Jinki felt nervous for some reason.

“We don’t have to try it if you don’t want to, in fact we can leave if you want” Jinki started rambling and Minho looked at him concerned.

“Are you feeling okay?” Minho asked and Jinki just nodded.

“Well, I’m going to go have a taco, you two have fun” Kibum smirked at Minho and walked off before the taller could respond.

“Sorry, I just got kinda nervous, you two looked like you could go at each other’s throats just then” Jinki admitted and Minho gave him a sympathetic look.

“I’m sorry we acted like that, we’ve been like that since the argument yesterday” Minho shook his head and looked in Kibum’s direction.

“It’s okay, you two seem like a broken up couple, it’s kinda funny sometimes” Jinki tried to lighten things up.

Minho’s eyes were wide, “Do we really seem like that?” Jinki could tell Minho was embarrassed.

“It’s not a bad thing” Jinki couldn’t help but chuckle, god Minho was cute, “The way you two glare at each other and the way your words seem to have different meanings when you talk, it really is like you two broke up”

“I never thought it would be obvious” Minho half-mumbled and Jinki wondered if he meant to say it.

“Come on, let’s go to that one next” Jinki pointed in the opposite direction of Kibum, hoping to get Minho’s mind off him.

“Okay, lead the way” Minho smiled at Jinki, but he felt like Minho’s gaze went right through him.

They ate at a few more trucks and Jinki didn’t think Minho was getting better. He seemed to always be looking past Jinki, and he checked his phone way more often. His attention suddenly seemed to be somewhere else and Jinki was rightfully worried.

“How about we head home?” Jinki asked and Minho looked at him confused.

“You don’t want to see any more of the city?” Jinki shook his head at the question.

“And I think you need some at home rest” Jinki concluded and Minho was surprised.

“How come?” Minho wasn’t looking through him this time.

“Ever since we encountered Kibum you’ve acted differently, I think you need to go home and rest where work won’t run into you” Jinki told him, Minho finally looked like he understood.

Minho checked his phone one last time and nodded, “You’re right, let’s head home then”

They found their way out of the crowd and hailed a taxi, Jinki wanting Minho to get home as soon as possible. They told the driver their address and got comfortable in the back, the music and sounds of the city filled the silence.

“Did ya hear about that Thai place?” The driver spoke up and the two turned their attention to him.

“No, what happened?” Minho asked first.

“One of the employees was found dead, killed ‘imself while ‘e was working” The two were shocked to hear about it.

“That’s awful” It was all Jinki could say.

“Do they know why?” Minho asked and the driver shook his head.

“They think ‘e was just depressed and ‘ad enough, they’re goin’ ta search ‘is phone” The driver answered as the car slowed to a stop.

“I hope his family is okay” Jinki said as Minho paid the driver.

Nothing else was said as they stepped out of the car and walked into the apartment complex.


	5. Vacantly Another Sigh

Jinki decided he’d stay inside the rest of the day, and Minho should too. He went through a bunch of relaxation ideas, maybe they could just lay on the couch and watch some feel good show. It seemed like a good idea, and he was pretty sure Minho would agree to it. So he got up from his bed and made his way to Minho’s room, but he stopped himself from knocking on the door. Minho was on the phone, and while Jinki knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop, he couldn’t help himself.

“It’s fine okay, we’re fine… No he’s not my boyfriend, he’s just my roommate… Kim Kibum I swear if you tell him I just might kill you” He heard Minho sigh, “Look, just please leave me alone for one day, okay? Thank you… I gotta go, I’ll see you tomorrow”

Jinki waited a few seconds before deciding to knock.

“Coming” Minho announced and Jinki waited patiently.

The door opened and Jinki could see how drained Minho felt.

“You haven’t properly relaxed all day, let’s lay on the couch and watch some feel good show until we forget what time means” Jinki suggested and Minho giggled.

“That sounds great, I also have some beers in the fridge if you want” Minho added and Jinki smiled, leading the two of them out of the hallway and to the living room.

Minho went to the fridge first, grabbing two cans of beer and bringing them to the coffee table. Meanwhile, Jinki surfed through shows on Netflix to find one that they could watch. Minho sat down on the couch and Jinki did the same after choosing something that seemed okay, the two opening their cans of beer.

“Cheers!” Jinki smiled and Minho clinked their cans together.

They went through a few episodes only talking about the show, laughing and relaxing, until Jinki got too curious.

“So, what’s the story between you and Kibum?” A harmless question that Jinki partially regretted asking.

“Well, we’ve been friends for a long time, and now we work at the same place and we compete in our work because we’re childish” Minho answered simply, looking at Jinki.

“That’s it? No underlying love story?” Jinki pressed on teasingly and Minho smiled fondly.

“I mean, we did date for a little bit” 

“I knew it!” Jinki exclaimed and Minho laughed.

“But we’ve been broken up for a while, I guess it’s a little more obvious than I thought” The two smiled at each other, “What about you? Do you have an ex?”

“Maybe some girl when I was really young, but other than that I haven’t dated” Jinki giggled at Minho’s shocked face.

“Really? I would think you’d have people lined up to date you!” Minho replied, taking the last sip of his beer.

“Nah, nothing like that” Jinki looked down at his hands, blushing at the subject of the conversation.

“I hope you find someone someday who shows you what a relationship really is” Jinki felt his cheeks get hotter, “Is there anyone you like right now? I can help you ask them out”

“There is someone, but I’d be too nervous to ask them” Jinki confessed and looked up at Minho.

“There’s no reason to be nervous, even if you get rejected it’s not like they’re going to stop talking to you forever” Minho got up to throw away his empty can and Jinki took a deep breath.

“It’s not that, it’s just that I just met them, so it’d feel too fast” Jinki’s eyes followed Minho.

Minho nodded in understanding, “I see what you mean, sometimes it’s better to get to know them, but there’s also nothing wrong with just letting them know” Minho sat back down.

“Yeah, just letting them know is different from asking them out, maybe I could do that” Jinki agreed and Minho smiled at him.

“That way they can’t reject you because you’re just telling them a fact” At this point they had both forgotten about the show on the tv.

“You’re right, I’ll just tell them the facts and go on with my life” Jinki watched Minho nod.

“And it’ll go just fine, and if you want I’ll be right there with you” Minho suggested and Jinki smiled.

There was a pause as the two smiled at each other, and then Minho took a deep breath.

“It’ll go just fine, as long as it’s not me” Minho mumbled, as if he didn’t want to say it.

“What do you mean?” Jinki was worried and heartbroken all at once.

“There’s a reason me and Kibum broke up, there’s also a reason he’s my closest and almost my only friend, I can’t explain it but… you can’t like me” Minho was staring at the wall now and Jinki was beyond confused.

“I can’t help who I like Minho, and if it happens to be you then I can’t just change that” Jinki hoped he didn’t sound mad.

“I know, and I’m not telling you to, I’m just telling you that it’s not good to like me” Minho was having a hard time and Jinki didn’t know how to help.

“And what if I don’t care if it’s good or not?” Jinki asked and Minho met his gaze, surprised.

“Jinki, I don’t want to hurt you, please don’t disregard yourself because of your temporary feelings” Minho pleaded.

“What if they’re not temporary? What if they don’t go away? Am I just supposed to stay still and pretend they don’t exist?” Minho looked down.

“I.. I don’t know, all I do know is that for your safety, your feelings should disappear” 


	6. All Looking For It Frantically

“For my… safety?” Jinki paused, confused, “What do you mean for my safety?”

“Why do you think me and Kibum fight so much? Don’t you think maybe there was more to it than a simple break up? I just don’t want the same thing to happen to you” Minho tried to explain without going in depth and Jinki tried to calm himself.

“I know you’re scared of hurting me, but I didn’t ask to date. It’s like you said, I’m just letting you know that I have feelings for you” Jinki watched Minho play with his fingers.

“That’s not all I’m scared of Jinki” There was a pause and they looked at each other, then Minho sighed, “I’m.. going to go to bed, work starts early tomorrow” Minho got up slowly and walked to his room, leaving Jinki on the couch.

Jinki pulled out his phone, needing to talk to someone to hopefully make himself less confused. He was somewhat relieved to see a few texts from Jonghyun, but the subject of the texts worried him.

**Jonghyun: Hey! I heard about what happened to the food truck owner, are you okay?**

**Jonghyun: Please answer I’m so worried**

**Jonghyun: Jinki I swear I’m going to die of worry**

**Jinki: Sorry I wasn’t checking my phone, what happened??**

**Jonghyun: The owner of some taco food truck hung himself in a nearby bathroom, but police are speculating it may have been murder**

**Jonghyun: I knew you went there today and I was terrified something had happened to you too**

**Jinki: That’s awful! I’m sorry I worried you :(**

**Jonghyun: Don’t be, I was just kinda paranoid**

**Jinki: Quick question, are relationships supposed to be weird and confusing?**

**Jonghyun: Omg are you dating your roommate??**

**Jinki: No, in fact I let him know I liked him and he told me I shouldn’t??**

**Jonghyun: Is he one of those that are like “I’m scared I’ll hurt you”**

**Jinki: Uh yeah sort of, but he also said he was scared of something else**

**Jonghyun: Those kinds of people find that as their version of hard to get, he probably likes you too and just wants you to make the first move**

**Jinki: Or maybe he is actually scared of hurting me**

**Jonghyun: I mean it could mean that**

**Jinki: I feel even more confused, I’m going to sleep**

He dragged himself off the couch and to his room, slumping into his bed confused and tired. He pulled out his phone one last time, deciding to read about the two recent suicides. His heart dropped into his stomach as he read, but then it shot back and into his throat. He felt like he was going to throw up, he knew these couldn’t be coincidence. He wanted to wake Minho up and tell him, but he also wanted to call Jonghyun. He just needed someone to calm him down, to tell him he was wrong, to tell him he’s overthinking it.

The Thai place him and Minho ate at the night before. The Taco Drip food truck from earlier. Both suicides. Both suspected foul play. Only one name replayed in Jinki’s head

Kim Kibum.


	7. Meaningless Steps

The more Jinki thought about it, the more he became worried for Minho. What if he’s the next target? What if Kibum keeps killing to get his attention? But then again, Jinki knew he also didn’t have any solid proof, just speculation and a conversation.

He tried to calm himself down, deep breaths and reminders that coincidences happen. But after hours of rereading articles and repeating the same things to himself, he saw the sun start to rise. He sighed, his body and mind tired and worn out, but a new day had started and he couldn’t just sleep now.

Jinki stumbled out of bed and to the kitchen, struggling to find the items necessary to make coffee. Once he had the coffee pot going, he sat down on the couch, hoping to rest a little. But his eyes fell closed and the next thing he knew he saw Kibum.

There was a smile on his face that made Jinki sick, and when Kibum started walking Jinki felt like he was being pulled along. He was behind Kibum now, and he let his gaze go down, only to see a knife clutched in one of Kibum’s hands.

Fear struck Jinki, and then he saw Minho and he tried to yell, scream, anything. Minho’s back was turned, and Jinki was begging him to turn around.

“He can’t hear you” What was only vaguely Kibum’s voice echoed in his mind.

And then the knife was plunged into Minho’s back. Again. And again. And Jinki screamed, tears making his face wet. Suddenly, there was a jolt and Jinki gasped as his eyes opened.

“Jinki? Jinki are you okay?” Minho’s voice came through to him and Jinki wanted to cry.

Jinki couldn’t speak, he pulled Minho towards him and into a hug, a few little tears falling out. And while Jinki couldn’t see his roommate’s face, he knew Minho was confused. But as arms started to carefully wrap around him, he knew Minho didn’t care.

“It was just a dream, everything’s okay now” Minho’s hand came up and stroked Jinki’s hair.

Jinki took a deep breath, his grip on Minho letting up and Minho pulled back to look at him.

“I’m sorry, I just… I’ve been up all night and I’ve been overthinking things” Jinki tried to calm himself down as Minho moved to sit beside him, “That employee at the Thai place and the food truck owner, they think there was foul play and I’ve been thinking a lot about it and-”

“Hey hey hey, it’s okay! I understand, it can all be overwhelming and scary” Minho tried to calm him down but Jinki shook his head.

“But it’s not okay, I’m scared that we may know the killer, I’ve thought about it so much and what if Kibum did this?” Jinki asked and Minho’s eyes widened.

“What do you mean, he doesn’t have an evil bone in his body! The police don’t even know for sure if it’s murder yet, maybe you should stay away from news articles” Minho suggested, all the information coming out somewhat frantically.

“I’ve been trying to tell myself it’s just coincidences and I’m just being paranoid, but then I had the nightmare and… Minho he murdered you” Jinki revealed, tears threatening to fall again.

“Shhh.. it’s okay, that’ll never happen, I promise” Minho pulled Jinki in for another hug, trying to quiet him, “Everything’s going to be okay, no one is going to hurt me or you or anyone”

It was silent apart from Jinki’s occasional sniffle, the two just sitting in each other’s arms. Jinki could’ve stayed there forever, but Minho’s phone alarm brought them back to reality.

“I have to get to work, you rest, I’ll be home before you know it” Minho suggested, holding Jinki’s hand in his and he stood up.

“Okay, I’ll be here” Jinki spoke weakly, their eyes locked on each other and Minho smiled sadly before letting go of his hand and walking away.

They said their goodbyes and Jinki quickly realized he didn’t want to be alone. He got up and poured himself a cup of lukewarm coffee, then called Jonghyun.

“Hello?” Jonghyun answered and Jinki smiled to himself.

“What do you say to having a little tour of my new apartment?” Jinki asked and Jonghyun laughed a little.

“Text me the room number, one sec” Jonghyun’s voice got a little muffled as he moved the phone away, “Taemin! Can you watch the shop for today? Thank you!”

“Maybe tomorrow I can come see your shop” Jinki suggested.

“I’ve been wondering when you’d come, but I’ll see you soon” Jonghyun chuckled and hung up.

Jinki texted the details, then sat on the couch and waited with his coffee that seemed to be getting colder. A few knocks on the door caused Jinki to get up, happily unlocking the door only to pause in partial fear.

“Hey Jinki, is Minho here or did I just miss him?” Kibum asked and Jinki couldn’t find the words to respond.


	8. Just The Way You Are

“Why do you look so scared? It’s just me” Kibum tried to reassure him and Jinki snapped back to reality.

“Uh sorry, I didn’t sleep well last night. Minho left for work already” Jinki answered simply, just wanting Kibum to leave.

“Ah okay, sorry if I bothered you” Kibum seemed kind of disappointed.

“It’s no problem, shouldn’t you be at work?” Jinki was surprised to see what seemed like a vulnerable version of Kibum.

“My shift starts later than Minho’s, I was hoping I could catch him before he left, I’ll get out of your hair now” Kibum smiled softly at Jinki before turning to leave.

“Ah excuse me” Jonghyun’s familiar voice made Jinki look past Kibum.

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking” Kibum admitted and Jinki stepped out of the apartment.

“Jonghyun!” Jinki waved and both men looked his way.

“Ah you’re Jinki’s friend!” Kibum smiled and held his hand out.

“Yeah, I’m Jonghyun, are you Minho?” Jonghyun asked, confused.

“Oh no, I’m his coworker, Kibum” The longer they talked the more anxious Jinki got.

“Well it was nice to meet you” Jonghyun smiled and Kibum nodded.

“I hope we’ll see more of each other soon” Kibum bowed slightly and continued on his way while Jonghyun looked to Jinki and nodded.

Once Jonghyun was in the apartment he turned to Jinki, “Wow he’s cute, you never told me about him!”

“Well you never asked” Jinki shrugged and Jonghyun giggled.

“So why the sudden invitation?” Jonghyun hung up his coat and looked to Jinki.

“To be honest, I had a nightmare and I didn’t want to be alone” Jinki told him and Jonghyun’s look became sympathetic.

“I’m sorry, do you wanna talk about it or do you wanna talk about something else?” Jonghyun asked and Jinki sat on the couch.

“Let’s talk about something else, like your store” Jinki suggested and Jonghyun sat down beside him.

“What about it?” Jonghyun was a little confused.

“Is it doing well? Are there any job openings?” Jinki asked and Jonghyun nodded in understanding.

“Well, we are a little understaffed, would you like a job?” Jonghyun smiled and Jinki.

“I’d love one, when do I start?” Jinki smiled and Jonghyun pretended to think.

“Tomorrow at ten in the morning sound good?” Jinki nodded quickly, “Great, consider yourself employed!”

“You’re the best” Jinki watched as Jonghyun beamed.

“I know, I know” Jonghyun laughed and Jinki joined in, “Now, what’s the story of you and your roommate?”

“There’s no real story, I like him and he told me to have my feelings disappear for my safety” Jinki shrugged and Jonghyun looked at him confused.

“Did he ever say if he liked you back?” Jonghyun asked and Jinki shook his head.

“He calmed me down after the nightmare and we hugged for a long time but I don’t know if that means anything” Jinki told him, “Oh! And Kibum, that’s his ex”

“Well that proves he has good taste, and if he has good taste then I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up liking you back” Jonghyun suggested and Jinki scoffed.

“Even if he likes me back, he made it pretty clear he didn’t want to date” Jinki tried not to look upset.

“He might just mean right now, maybe somewhere down the line…” Jonghyun trailed off, eyeing Jinki and wiggling his eyebrows, making the older laugh.

“What about you? Is there anyone special you haven’t told me about?” Jinki asked, shifting in his seat.

“I mean, you just watched my future boyfriend walk down the hall” Jonghyun joked and Jinki wanted to laugh with him, but something didn’t let him.

“I would be really surprised if you two ended up together” The humor in Jinki’s statement was somehow lost.

“You seem upset, did I say something wrong?” Jonghyun asked, worry apparent in his voice.

“No, no, it’s not that, Kibum was just in my nightmare and I’m still kinda shaken by it” Jinki half-lied and hoped Jonghyun wouldn’t press on.

“I’m sorry, if I had known I wouldn’t have brought him up, let’s talk about something else” Jonghyun suggested and Jinki felt a small smile pull at his lips.

They talked for a while and Jinki almost forgot how tired he was, he guessed being with his best friend did that to him. He didn’t mind though, but Jonghyun did when he noticed the yawns and the hard time Jinki was having keeping his eyes open.

“You seem tired, did you sleep well last night?” Jonghyun asked during one of Jinki’s yawns.

“Ah, no I didn’t sleep at all” Jinki admitted and Jonghyun looked half-shocked.

“You have your first day of work tomorrow, you need some good sleep!” Jonghyun got up and Jinki watched him curiously, “Come on, take me to your room and you’re going to get nice and comfortable and I’m going to put on some relaxing music and you are going to sleep”

Jinki complied, showing Jonghyun to his room and letting the younger take care of him. All the blankets Jinki owned, his pillow nice and fluffed, and relaxing music playing beside him.

“And I’ll leave when you’ve fallen asleep” Jonghyun told him and Jinki looked at him concerned.

“What about locking the door?” Jinki asked.

“I didn’t think about that, do you know when Minho will be back?” Jonghyun asked and Jinki shrugged.

“He came home early the other day, but it’s only just now noon” Jinki told him and Jonghyun sighed.

“I can’t just take your key, you can put yourself back into this maximum comfort position right?” Jinki nodded at that and got out of bed.

“Thank you for the help, it means a lot” Jinki patted Jonghyun’s back as they left the room.

“It’s the least I could do, now you get some sleep, you’ve got a big day tomorrow” Jonghyun smiled at him as Jinki unlocked the door.

“I will, see you tomorrow” Jinki smiled back and opened the door.

They said their goodbyes and Jinki closed and locked the door, heading back to his room to hopefully get some amazing sleep.


	9. You're Even More So Like You

A sigh left his lips as he found himself heading back to the apartment. He was hoping Minho would come with him this time, but he was way too stubborn. Key in hand, he approached the door, deciding he would knock first as not to scare Jinki if he was still home. With no response, he unlocked the door and walked in, as quietly as possible.

It was a habit of his to keep his footsteps quiet, and as he entered the hall and saw one door ajar he was thankful for that habit. He tried to listen for talking or other footsteps, but all he heard was faint music. 

Curiosity got the best of him, and he found himself peeking into the dim lit room. A light chuckle came out of him as he smiled at the sight.

“You’re cute when you sleep” He mumbled to himself and left the room.

He continued down the hall, stopping in front of Minho’s room. He turned the door knob and was surprised when it opened easily.

“He should really get a lock” Another mumbled thought, another habit of his.

He pushed it open and walked in, scanning the room for a second, trying to remember where Minho said it was.

“Open the side table drawer… taped above..” He followed the actions as he said them, finding the flash drive he was looking for, “Safe but kinda cliche”

That’s when he heard footsteps behind him.

He turned around and was relieved to find it was only Jinki. Oh wait, Jinki with a bat.

“What are you doing here?” Jinki asked, voice shaky.

“Okay, I know this looks bad, but Minho asked me to grab this for work” Kibum confessed, but Jinki didn’t put the bat down.

“Why should I believe you?” Jinki waved the bat at him and Kibum scoffed.

“Because, I have Minho’s key, he forgot the flash drive this morning while he was busy with you” Kibum smiled knowingly and enjoyed the way Jinki swallowed hard.

“I’ll call him now and ask him myself” Jinki pulled his phone out of his pocket with one hand and kept the bat up with the other.

And boy did Kibum want to have some fun.

“I wonder” He took a step towards Jinki and he froze, “Why are you so scared of me?” A few more steps, Jinki was visibly scared, “We’ve only just met, and yet…” Another step and Jinki put his phone back.

“I will use this” Jinki had both hands on the bat again.

“But why? Do you think I’m going to hurt you?” Kibum tested his luck again and smiled, “I don’t have a weapon, it wouldn’t be a fair fight”

Jinki’s phone went off and the two paused at the sound.

“Go ahead, answer it, I’m not going to ambush you” Kibum had a little chuckle in his voice.

Jinki answered the phone and put it on speaker, placing it on a dresser.

“Hello? Jinki?” Minho sounded worried.

“Hey Minho” Jinki responded.

“Why’d you call and then hang up? Are you okay?” Minho asked and Kibum giggled.

“You sound so worried Minho, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you like this” Kibum spoke up and Jinki glared at him.

“I’m fine, but I found Kibum snooping in your room” Jinki answered.

“Help, he thinks I’m a baseball” Kibum laughed and Minho sighed.

“Put down the bat Jinki, I asked him to get something for me” Minho admitted and Jinki sighed in relief.

“I told you” Kibum mocked.

“Get back to work Kibum, you’ve worried Jinki enough today” Minho ordered and Jinki picked up the phone.

“Really? I thought this was the first time” Kibum smiled and started to walk out of the room, stopping beside Jinki for a second, “And hey, no need to be afraid of me, I’m not as evil as you think I am”


	10. It's A Bit Different

Jinki stretched, looking out the window to see the sun high in the sky. He was happy to finally feel well rested, and even happier that he had found a job. Getting ready went by quickly, he made sure to grab a bite to eat before walking out of the apartment. He locked the door behind him, and was on his way to the address that Jonghyun had texted him. 

Thankfully, the walk wasn’t long, and Jinki found himself fifthteen minutes early. The sign read ‘closed’ so Jinki knocked on the door, smiling when he saw Jonghyun coming to open the door.

“Welcome to your first day of work” Jonghyun greeted and let Jinki in.

“Hold that door!” An unfamiliar voice called from the sidewalk.

“Taemin, just in time to meet your new coworker” Jonghyun smiled, letting the man into the store.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Lee Taemin” The stranger introduced himself, holding out a hand to Jinki.

Jinki accepted the handshake, “Nice to meet you too, I’m Lee Jinki” The two smiled at each other.

“I’ll show you around, get you familiar with the place, we open at ten-thirty” Jonghyun explained and motioned for Jinki to follow him.

It didn’t take long for Jinki to learn what to do, and soon the shop was open. They didn’t have many customers and that didn’t really surprise Jinki, he was rather happy about it, more time to get to know Taemin.

“I’ve heard a lot about you” Taemin started the conversation, “Jonghyun says you’re his closest friend”

“And he’s my closest friend, we’ve known each other for years” Jinki smiled at the thought.

“I hope one day to get that close to him” Taemin spaced out for a second and Jinki looked around for a second.

“Wait a second” Jinki brought his voice lower, “Do you like Jonghyun?” Taemin blushed at the accusation.

“Wha- no, maybe a little” Taemin admitted, letting his gaze wander to Jonghyun, “He’s just so sweet and caring and he puts his all into the things he’s passionate about, he’s just my type”

“So, why don’t you go for it?” Jinki asked and Taemin laughed a little.

“I’ve got some loose ends I have to take care of before I take on a relationship, I couldn’t drag him into all of that” Taemin sighed, “Besides I don’t think he’d accept me anyway”

“Sometimes life surprises you, but I completely understand waiting” Jinki gave Taemin a small smile.

“So, why’d you move here?” Taemin asked and Jinki thought for a second.

“I’ve always wanted to live in the city, and thankfully there was someone looking for a roommate, so I took the money I had saved up and followed my dream” Jinki explained and Taemin nodded.

“Are you liking it here?” Taemin leaned on the counter.

“Yeah, I love it here, Jonghyun and my roommate Minho have been showing me around” Jinki told him.

“I’m glad, sounds like everything is going well for you” Taemin smiled at Jinki.

The doorbell rang then, and everyone looked to the door.

“Well well well, didn’t think I’d be seeing you so soon” Jonghyun spoke first and Jinki had so many questions.

“I didn’t know you owned a store, I’ll have to come by more often” Kibum smiled deviously, making Jinki uneasy.

“I thought you had work today” Jinki walked up to him.

“I’m on break and I thought I’d do some shopping” Kibum answered, “What’s wrong? Do you still not trust me?” Kibum had a look on his face that made Jinki’s blood boil.

“You guys going to introduce me to your friend?” Taemin chimed in, joining the three of them.

“Oh, Taemin, this is Kibum, he works with Minho” Jinki explained and Taemin smiled.

“Taemin, it’s so nice to meet you” Kibum extended his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you too” Taemin shook his hand and Jinki noticed Kibum’s prolonged eye contact.

“So, what is it you’re looking for?” Jonghyun asked and Kibum looked to him.

“I think I may have found it, if you’re willing to give it to me” Kibum smiled and got a little closer to Jonghyun, “I was wondering if you’d give me your number”

Jonghyun blushed, “Really?” Kibum nodded and Jonghyun scoffed, “If I give it to you I expect a date” He smirked at Kibum.

Taemin and Jinki exchanged a look of confused disgust.

“Trust me, you’ll get one” Kibum smiled and Jonghyun scribbled down his number on a notepad.

An accomplished smile crossed Kibum’s face as he took the slip of paper from Jonghyun.

“Thank you cutie” Kibum winked at him, “I’ll see you soon”

The three watched as Kibum left the store, a smile glued to Jonghyun’s face.

“That was the smoothest thing I’ve ever witnessed” Taemin spoke up and Jonghyun snapped back to reality.

“ _ That  _ was like something out of a dream” Jonghyun had a dreamy look on his face, and Jinki was just shocked.

“Well, I’m happy for you” Taemin smiled at his boss.

“Thank you” Jonghyun replied, then his eyes fell on Jinki, “Are you okay, Jinki?”

“Uh, yeah, I think so” Jinki nodded but he could tell Jonghyun wasn’t convinced.

“You seem shaken up, are you sure you’re alright?” Jonghyun asked again.

“It’s just that, Kibum has been showing up everywhere lately, I don’t know, maybe I’m just being paranoid” Jinki explained with a sigh.

“A little paranoia doesn’t hurt” Taemin told him.

“I’d be paranoid after a nightmare too” Jonghyun said, giving Jinki a sympathetic look.

“Yeah, I guess so, I just also can trust him” Jinki admitted and the two look at him confused, “He just has this aura to me like he does everything for a reason, and what those reasons might be scare me. I just have a bad feeling about him and I can’t shake it”

“Sometimes gut feelings are right, I’d say hold onto it just in case” Taemin suggested and Jonghyun nodded.

“I may think he’s hot but I’ll be wary of him if your gut is too” Jonghyun made Jinki smile with that statement.

“Thanks guys, you make me feel like I’m not totally crazy”


	11. A Deep Place In Your Heart

“I’m home” Jinki announced, disappointed that there was no response.

He hadn’t seen Minho all day and he’d be lying if he said it didn’t upset him. He was in love with him, of course he’d want to see him after a day of work. That’s how he justified it to himself. It wasn’t late enough for him to be asleep, but Jinki thought he’d check anyway.

A few knocks and there was no answer, so he slowly opened the door. He glanced into the room and was sad to find no Minho. He sighed, closing the door and pulling out his phone, debating giving him a call or texting him.

He called him, of course.

It rang the whole time, sending Jinki to voicemail, and also into panic mode. The dream was still having its effect on him. Instead of leaving a voicemail, he called again, afraid Minho was in danger.

About five rings and Minho answered.

“Hello?” He sounded tired and a little frustrated.

“Hey, I haven’t seen you all day and you didn’t answer the first time and I got scared” Jinki explained a little too quickly.

Minho chuckled, “It’s okay, I’m just running late today, had to run an errand and it took a little longer than expected” an abrupt honk let Jinki know he was driving, or at least near a street.

“Sorry, I probably added more stress by calling you” Jinki felt bad for the many times he’s made Minho worry in the past few days.

“No, no, it’s fine, I’m actually happy to hear your voice. It’s nice to hear someone familiar after so long” Minho’s sincerity shone through his words and Jinki smiled.

“Are you headed home now?” Jinki asked, going to sit in his room.

“Sorta, back to the office first to clock out, then home from there” Jinki decided he loved Minho’s voice.

“I’ll wait up for you, I’ll make us some ramen when you get home” Jinki suggested, imagining Minho’s smile.

“That sounds great! Hopefully I’ll be home soon” There was a little nervousness in his voice but Jinki pretended he didn’t hear it.

“Okay, see you soon!” Jinki chimed into the phone.

“See you soon” Minho chuckled, and the two hung up.

Jinki couldn’t wipe the smile from his face as he made his way to the living room, he guessed absence really did make the heart grow fonder. He pulled out two cup ramen, preparing them to go in the microwave, but instead he placed them beside the microwave.

He sat down on the couch and played a few games on his phone as he waited. It made the wait go faster, even if it still felt like hours.

Finally, the door was being unlocked and the door knob was turning and Jinki looked up from his phone.

Minho sighed as he walked in, “I’m finally home” Jinki smiled at him.

“Welcome home, I’m sure you’re starving so I’ll go ahead and cook the ramen” Jinki got up and quickly went to microwave the food.

“That’s so nice of you Jinki” Minho smiled this time, setting his briefcase on the coffee table as he plopped down on the couch.

“You’ve had a long day, it’s the least I can do” Jinki insisted, starting to notice just how tired Minho looked.

“Still, thank you so much, it means a lot to me. Usually I would just go straight to bed and then eat a big breakfast” Minho met Jinki’s eyes.

Jinki couldn’t think of a reply, seemingly frozen in Minho’s eyes. And they stayed like that for a while, smiling at each other, just happy to see each other. Then the microwave beeped and Jinki jumped. Minho couldn’t help giggling at him, and Jinki would’ve been more embarrassed but Minho’s laugh made him calm.

It was close to silent as Jinki finished up with the ramen and brought them to Minho. 

“Thank you” Minho said as he took one of the cups from Jinki.

“You’re welcome” Jinki sat down beside Minho and the two of them started eating.

It was quiet as they ate, neither of them thinking to put something on to watch, and neither having much to say. But Jinki liked the silence, he just liked being with Minho, and it was times like these that he wished lasted forever.

“Mm, hey, how was your first day?” Minho asked after a mouthful of noodles.

“It was good, made a new friend, and then Kibum came and got Jonghyun’s number” Jinki told him, and Minho looked surprised.

“Not what I expected to hear, but interesting. Who’s this new friend?” Minho smiled at Jinki.

“Ah, his name is Taemin, he’s kinda like the second in command there” Jinki answered and Minho nodded.

“Is he nice?” There was a different tone to his voice now, and Jinki couldn’t recognize it at first.

“Yeah, he’s super nice, he helped me calm down after Kibum’s visit” Jinki looked to Minho, who had a sort of somber expression, “Is everything okay?”

“Uh, yeah, sorry I was just thinking about something” Minho tried to change his expression to a happier one.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jinki suggested and Minho looked down for a second, as if he was thinking.

“I uh.. I’m a little jealous” Minho admitted.

“Jealous of what?” Jinki wasn’t sure if he wanted the answer.

“Of you and Taemin” Minho met Jinki’s gaze.

“Why of us?” Jinki thought he may have known, but he wanted to be sure.

“I don’t know, I guess I just… don’t want you to fall for him” Jinki found himself blushing.

“But you said-“

“I know what I said but I’ve been thinking a lot these past few days and I really like you” Minho confessed and Jinki was rather shocked.

“I- I don’t know what to say, I thought you didn’t want this” Jinki was confused to say the least.

“I’m scared of it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want it. I don’t wanna hurt you, but I wanna be with you” Minho was contradicting himself, but he didn’t care.

“I don’t know what or who made you think that you would hurt me, but I hope one day you stop thinking that way” Jinki smiled, and for a second he thought he saw a tear in Minho’s eye.

“Would you believe me, if I said I love you, Lee Jinki?”


	12. Drawing A Pretty Picture

It was quiet as Jinki processed what Minho had just told him, this had never really happened to him before.

“I…” Jinki set his ramen on the coffee table, “I don’t know”

“Then, would you let me show you?” The question almost confused Jinki, but as he met Minho’s eyes he realized what he meant.

“It would be my first kiss” Jinki admitted and Minho was surprised, “I’ve just kind of avoided stuff like this, until I became comfortable with myself”

“Then I’ll make it count” Jinki smiled as Minho moved in closer.

The little fears Jinki had of ruining the kiss disappeared when their lips touched. He seemed frozen in place, only his lips moving in a made up rhythm with Minho’s. It was a feeling that Jinki could’ve gotten lost in, and he was surprised when Minho’s hand found his, their fingers intertwining. It was a soft, sweet feeling, there was just something pure about it that Jinki loved, and when Minho pulled away Jinki almost pouted.

They just looked at each other for a second, the silence anything but uncomfortable, and Minho’s hand came up to caress Jinki’s face. They smiled at each other, which led to giggling, and eventual laughter.

“That felt like it came out of a drama” Minho joked and Jinki agreed, the two now holding onto each other.

“It was an amazing first kiss” Jinki admitted and Minho put their foreheads together.

“I’m glad” Minho told him, moving to give Jinki a bunch of little kisses on his cheeks.

Jinki giggled at the sensation, and Minho ended with a quick peck on his lips.

“So, does this mean we’re dating?” Jinki asked hopefully.

“If that’s what you want it to mean” Minho was playing with Jinki’s fingers now.

“I would love that” Jinki confessed and Minho’s smile got bigger.

“Then it’s official, baby” Jinki’s heart jumped at the simple pet name.

“Jonghyun is going to celebrate when he finds out” Jinki smiled and Minho chuckled.

“And we’re going to celebrate tomorrow, on our first date” Seeing Minho this happy made Jinki feel like his heart was going to burst with love.

“You better get off on time then” Jinki teased, poking Minho’s nose, he loved that nose.

“I’ll make sure I do, then I’ll take you somewhere fancy” Minho told him.

“It doesn’t have to be fancy” Jinki insisted, “As long as we’re together, I’m happy”

“I know, but I want to treat you, you deserve it” Minho gazed at Jinki, love in his eyes.

“You’re such a sweet talker, you know that?” Jinki teased and Minho nodded.

“Just another thing to love about me” Minho gave him a toothy smile.

“You’re so cute for a man in a suit” Jinki giggled and Minho joined in.

“Cute and sexy all at once” Minho told him.

“Another thing I love about you, but it’s getting late and you haven’t slept” Jinki held Minho’s hands as he said this.

“You’re right, and I have to go in early tomorrow” Minho pouted.

“Early on a Saturday?” Jinki asked and Minho nodded.

“Sometimes I’m surprised if we ever sleep” Minho admitted and Jinki gave him a sympathetic look.

“You at least get off early, right?” Jinki was shocked at his schedule.

“It depends on how everything goes, if I’m done early then I can leave early, if not then it’s another late night” Minho explained, “But I’m pretty well known for my fast and efficient work” Minho smiled, proud of himself.

“Well then, I would expect you home early often” Jinki smiled back.

“I’m going to go get some sleep, goodnight sweetie” Minho leaned in for one last kiss.

Jinki accepted happily, their own rhythm starting up again, only to be cut short by Minho.

“Goodnight, I love you” Jinki held onto Minho’s hand as he stood up.

“I love you too, you better get some sleep” Minho told him, reluctantly letting Jinki’s hand slip from his grasp.

Jinki watched as Minho walked away, a sort of satisfaction settling in his heart. He cleaned up what was left of the ramen, then after a rather strong yawn, he slipped into his own bed.


	13. I'm Even More So Like Me

Jinki woke up earlier than usual, as Minho quietly talked him awake. Seeing Minho’s smile first thing in the morning sure was nice.

“I was just about to leave, I thought I’d say goodbye” Minho was sitting partially on the bed and partially on air.

Jinki smiled at him, “Good morning, hope you have a good day” Minho chuckled at Jinki’s sleepy voice.

“Good morning, I’ll see you when I get home” He leaned down and pecked Jinki’s forehead.

“See you then” Jinki sat up, pulling Minho into a kiss, proud of himself for catching Minho off guard.

It was giggles and goodbyes from there, and Jinki thinks that the best way he’s ever woken up. Although it doesn’t take long for him to fall back asleep, only to be reawakened by his alarm a few hours later.

He had made a sort of routine for himself, just to get him into the groove of things. It worked for him, as he found himself leaving right on time, arriving around the same time as Jonghyun.

“You’re early” Jonghyun smiled as he unlocked the door.

“I slept well” Jinki told him as they walked into the shop.

“Hey, there have been reports of someone missing, I haven’t read the name but he lived in the same complex as you, it’s not Minho is it?” Jonghyun asked worried and Jinki shook his head.

“I was with Minho all night, do they think it was a runaway?” Jinki was as worried as he thought he’d be.

“Yeah, they think he just picked up and left, hasn’t been seen since Thursday” Jonghyun explained and Jinki just nodded.

“Well, I have some news to share too” Jinki smiled and Jonghyun raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? Is it good news?” Jonghyun asked and Jinki pretended to think about it.

“You’ll find out when Taemin gets here” Jinki could hear the scoff before Jonghyun did it.

“Now I’m curious!” Jonghyun whined and Jinki just giggled.

“Well, you might not have to wait that long” Jinki gestured to the door, where Taemin was approaching.

Jonghyun hurried to open the door for him, and everyone exchanged greetings.

“So, you guys remember those two suicides from earlier this week?” Taemin asked and Jinki straightened up.

“The ones they thought might have been murders?” Jinki asked and Taemin nodded, Jinki’s stomach twisted.

“They stopped investigating, found digital suicide notes for both of them and just let it go” Taemin told them and Jinki sighed in relief.

“It’s still tragic, but at least the families don’t have to search for someone to bring to justice” Jonghyun spoke up.

“Well, the families aren’t convinced, but no one will follow up now” Taemin added, and this time Jonghyun sighed, “One was wrapped up in drugs and the other was human trafficking, I don’t think anyone really wants to believe they were murdered anyway”

“Less work for the police, I’m sure they enjoy that” Jonghyun said and the two of them agreed, “Now, tell us the good news Jinki, I’m sure we could all use a pick me up now” Jonghyun smiled at him.

“Well, a certain someone may have confessed to me, and that certain someone may or may not be my boyfriend now” Jinki smiled as he spoke.

“You’re dating Minho?!” Jonghyun asked and Jinki nodded, “I’m so happy for you! 

But when do I get to meet him?”

“Soon, I promise” Jinki chuckled at his friend.

“You’re dating your roommate, it’s almost as if you’re already married” Taemin joked.

“He better treat you right, does he know you haven’t really dated before?” Jonghyun asked and Jinki nodded.

“Yes, he knows I sheltered myself. He’s really sweet to me, and he woke me up before he left for work today because he wanted to hear my voice before he left” Jinki loved thinking about the memory.

“He better not ruin your first dating experience” Taemin spoke up, “Because he’d have the two of us after him”

“I’ll go to you two first if anything happens” Jinki told them, “He’s taking me out to eat tonight for our first date, he promised somewhere fancy”

“Kibum’s taking me out tonight too, we could make it a double date if you want” Jonghyun suggested, but Jinki shook his head.

“I’m still wary of Kibum, I don’t want to feel like I’m on a date with him” Jinki explained and Jonghyun nodded.

“I totally understand” Jonghyun reassured him.

“I hope your dates go well” Taemin smiled at the two.

“And what are your plans for tonight?” Jonghyun asked and Taemin shrugged.

“I don’t know, might buy some takeout and pass out, nothing too exciting” Taemin shrugged, “I’m not a really exciting person”

“The shop isn’t open on Sundays right?” Jinki chimed in and Jonghyun shook his head, “Do you know if Kibum works tomorrow”

“I don’t think he does, what are you planning?” Jonghyun asked with a smile.

“Maybe we could all hang out, you could both finally meet Minho” Jinki suggested.

The two looked at each other and then nodded at Jinki.

“Just tell me when and where” Taemin said and Jinki smiled.

“I’ll text you the details”


	14. We Don't Care

When Jinki opened the door to his apartment, a smile crossed his face at the sight of Minho already dressed up on the couch.

“Welcome home” Minho smiled back, standing up now, “Did you have a good day?”

Jinki moved to give Minho a hug, “Yes I did, and it just got so much better” They shared a quick kiss after the hug, “How was your day?”

“Uneventful, but good” Minho told him, “And we have reservations at The Shining Boulevard at eight”

“Then I’d better get ready” Jinki patted Minho’s chest before leaving for his room.

It took a lot longer than he expected to find something fancy to wear, it was almost frustrating. Once he found the perfect outfit, he didn’t waste any time getting ready, not wanting to make them late. Jinki smiled as the clock read seven-thirty, and he stepped out of his room.

“I’m ready if you are” Jinki announced, but Minho seemed frozen at the sight of him.

Minho let out a breath, “You’re stunning” Minho smiled and walked up to him.

“Thank you” Jinki blushed as Minho took his hand.

“Come, my love, dinner awaits” Minho had a cheesy smile and Jinki couldn’t help but giggle.

It took a little longer to get there then he thought it would, but thankfully they weren’t late. Jinki was shocked to see the restaurant, he knew it’d be fancy but he still wasn’t prepared for it, he squeezed Minho’s hand at the sight.

“Are you nervous?” Minho asked before they walked in.

“A little, I’ve never been to some place so nice” Jinki admitted.

“It’s okay, it’s just like any other restaurant, only people dress up a bit more” Minho tried to calm him down, “Besides, once we sit down it’s just me and you”

Jinki smiled at him fondly, “Thank you, I think I’m ready to go in now”

Jinki took a deep breath as they walked in, queuing in a rather short line. The sound of everyone around them filled the hall, and Jinki almost didn’t notice Minho’s sigh. He turned to look at Minho, and that’s when he learned the reason for his sigh.

“Jinki? Minho? Is that you?” Kibum’s voice sent shivers down Jinki’s spine.

Minho turned around first, his eyes meeting Kibum’s as he walked up to them. Jinki decided to turn around as well, trying to keep his eyes on Jonghyun.

“What are you doing here?” Kibum asked and Jinki could feel Minho’s grip on his hand tighten slightly.

“We’re on a date” Minho gave Kibum a smile.

It was then that Jonghyun mouthed “Sorry” to Jinki, the older shaking his head and replying “It’s okay”.

“What a coincidence we’d make reservations at the same place” Kibum seemed happy, but something was off, as if he was teasing Minho.

“Are you going to introduce me to your boyfriend?” Minho asked, sending a kind smile to Jonghyun.

“I’m Kim Jonghyun” He smiled and held out his hand.

Minho accepted, “I’m Choi Minho, I’ve heard a lot about you”

“And I of you, although Jinki didn’t tell me you were so tall” Jonghyun tried to lighten the mood.

“How did you meet Kibum?” Minho asked, the group now moving with the line.

“I came over to spend some time with Jinki and he was just leaving” Jonghyun explained and Minho nodded.

“Then I was out shopping and I happened to stop by his music store, so I got his number” Kibum smiled, looking at Jonghyun.

“Well, I hope you have a great time” Minho told them and Jinki was relieved.

“You too” Jonghyun replied as the couple turned to the hostess.

They were seated, and Jinki was happy that he didn’t have to see Kibum for the rest of the night.

“I’m sorry he was here” Minho apologized and Jinki shook his head.

“Don’t be, you didn’t know, but now it’s just us, just like you said” Jinki smiled and Minho rested his head on his hand.

“God I love you” Minho smiled, gazing at Jinki.

“I love you too” Jinki replied, and blew him a kiss.


	15. I Hope You Find It

Jinki found a smile stuck to his face as they finished up at the restaurant.

“Do you wanna grab dessert?” Minho asked, a smile glued to him as well.

“We could get some lava cake to go” Jinki suggested and Minho agreed, ordering that and the check when the waiter came around again.

“So, how was our first date?” Minho held Jinki’s hand across the table and Jinki blushed.

“It’s not over yet, but so far? It’s incredible” Jinki played with Minho’s fingers.

“I’m glad, and when we get home, we can snuggle and watch a movie while we eat our dessert” Minho met Jinki’s gaze.

“That sounds great” Jinki felt lost in Minho’s eyes for a second.

They received their dessert and Minho paid for their food, and the two got ready to leave the restaurant.

“Ah, you go wait outside, I have to use the bathroom” Minho handed the dessert to Jinki.

“Okay, don’t be too long, I’ll miss you too much” Jinki smiled cutely and Minho smiled back.

They parted ways, And Jinki found a good spot to wait outside of the restaurant. He pulled out his phone for some entertainment as he waited, but he put it back when he heard a familiar voice.

“Jinki, didn’t think I’d see you here” Taemin smiled and Jinki was surprised.

“Minho’s inside, we just got done eating” Jinki told him, “What are you doing here?”

“I was headed home, just got done with my part-time job” Taemin explained and Jinki nodded.

“You work two jobs?” Jinki hoped the question wasn’t rude.

“Yeah, I live alone so I’m the only income, I’ve got to make it a good one” Taemin moved to lean against the wall beside Jinki, “Can I ask a question?”

“Go ahead” Jinki shrugged.

“Why do you not trust Kibum? I know you said there was an aura and Jonghyun mentioned a nightmare, but there seems to be more to it” Taemin seemed genuinely curious.

“It’s a long story, but to sum it up, I thought he may have been responsible for those suicides” Jinki explained, “And then after no sleep, I had a dream of him murdering Minho” Jinki turned to look at Taemin, “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t trust him either, something about the way he looked at me, like he was profiling me” Taemin admitted, “I’m sorry you had such a nightmare”

“It’s okay, I’m just a little paranoid now. What do you mean by he was profiling you?” It was Jinki’s turn to ask questions.

“It was like he was studying everything about me in a few fleeting seconds, and I felt scared, where’d you say he works?” Taemin shuddered at the memory.

“Him and Minho work for a law firm” Jinki answered and Taemin nodded.

“I hope Minho doesn’t give me the same feeling” Taemin said.

“He’s really different from Kibum, a lot kinder and less intrusive” Jinki smiled at the thought of Minho, “And he should be back by now”

“You want me to stay until he comes back?” Taemin asked and Jinki shook his head.

“If you need to get home, then go ahead, I’ll just text him” Jinki replied and Taemin nodded.

The two said their goodbyes, and Jinki pulled out his phone.

**Jinki: Is everything okay?**

**Minho: Yeah, I’ll be out in a second**

**Jinki: Okay, I’ll be here**

Although he wasn’t super satisfied with the answer, at least Minho answered. And thankfully, Minho walked out of the restaurant a few moments later.

“Sorry I took so long” Minho apologized and Jinki reached for his hand.

“You’re here now, that’s what matters” Jinki smiled at him.

“Now, let’s go home” Minho smiled, and the two made their way home, hand in hand.


	16. All You Do

It was a new day, and the couple had slept in late, but thankfully not too late. They still had time to get ready for their friends to arrive, and Jinki was still so happy that Minho said yes.

“Is that everything?” Minho asked, looking at the table full of snacks.

“I think so, also Jonghyun said he’s on his way” Jinki told him, straightening up things.

He smiled when he felt arms wrap around him.

“I can’t wait to properly meet your friends” Minho hummed, rocking the two of them.

“They also can’t wait to meet you” Jinki replied, placing his hands on Minho’s.

“And I just want to be sure, you are okay with Kibum coming over?” Minho asked, and Jinki put a hand on his cheek.

“As long as you two play nice” Jinki answered, but then Minho turned Jinki to face him.

“I’m not worried about that, I’m worried about you. Last night when we ran into him you didn’t even talk” Minho took one of Jinki’s hands into his, “I just want you to be mentally okay with this”

Jinki gave Minho a loving look, “I want him to come over because I want to stop being scared of him. I don’t know whether it’ll work or not, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try”

Minho just smiled at him and moved in for a kiss, and Jinki quickly accepted. The kiss didn’t last long as there was a knock on the door. The couple went together to open it, finding Jonghyun smiling at them.

“Hey! Come on in” Jinki smiled and moved so he could walk in.

“I hope I wasn’t supposed to bring anything” Jonghyun said as Minho closed the door.

“No, we have plenty” Jinki gestured for him to sit.

The three talked about little things, until another knock came. Minho went to answer it to find an unfamiliar face.

“You must be Taemin” Minho spoke first.

“Yeah that’s me, so you’re Minho” Jinki heard Taemin’s voice and watched as Minho shook his hand.

“Come on in, we’re still waiting for Kibum” Minho told him.

“You’ve got a really nice place” Taemin looked around and Minho shut the door.

“It’s pretty nice for an apartment” Minho added.

Taemin joined Jinki and Jonghyun on the couch, and Minho stayed at the door as they waited for Kibum. They expected a knock, but instead heard the door unlock and open.

“Guess who found his spare key” Kibum’s voice filled the room.

“I’ll take it back then” Minho held out his hand and Kibum dropped the key in it.

“Go ahead, I already made a duplicate” Kibum smiled at Minho.

“There are snacks on the table and drinks in the fridge, help yourself” Jinki spoke up, proud of himself for doing so.

“Sounds great, thanks for inviting me” Kibum looked at Jinki.

A sense of pride washed over Jinki as he smiled in Kibum’s direction, instead of looking away. Kibum grabbed a bowl of chips, then sat in the armchair near Taemin. And Minho sat on the arm of the couch, beside Jinki.

“So, where are you from Taemin?” Kibum shocked everyone with the sudden question.

“I’d rather not talk about it” Taemin avoided the question.

“Why not?” Kibum continued.

“It makes me think of my family” Taemin told him, and Jonghyun placed a hand on his back.

“Are you not close with them?” Kibum seemed curious, but Jinki was worried about Taemin.

“Kibum, he doesn’t want to talk about it” Jonghyun spoke up, but Taemin shook his head.

“If we’re all friends he’ll find out eventually” Taemin lifted his head up and met Kibum’s eyes, “They’re dead”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know” Kibum apologized, but something about it felt off to Jinki.

“It was a house fire, I came home to sirens and firefighters, no one made it” Taemin explained, Jonghyun tried to calm him down by rubbing circles on his back.

Jinki looked over to see Minho and Kibum exchange a look, it was like Minho was scolding him with his eyes.

“Why don’t we put on some music, something happy to cheer us all up?” Jonghyun suggested and the others agreed.

The rest of the day seemed to go by fine, Jinki was thankful Kibum didn’t pull anything else.


	17. I Don't Care

A sinister smile crossed his lips, it was just yesterday he had seen him happy, and part of him was excited to see the young man scared. He had one of his favorite sets with him, they had hearts carved in them. A sigh came from his lips as he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and then a smile. It was Minho.

“Hello? Where are you?” Minho sounded scared, or worried, either one was fine with him.

“Did you know Taemin works two jobs? And he stops by his house before going to his second job. No CCTV, neighbors wouldn’t call if they heard something strange, and he lives alone” Kibum chuckled into the phone, “It’ll be so easy, those dumb loan sharks could’ve done it themselves”

“Kibum, don’t do this, don’t hurt him” Minho pleaded, and Kibum liked the sound of it.

“You say that like I have another option, they already paid me Minho, it’s the end of the line” Kibum approached the front door.

“You know there are other options, they don’t know where he lives, they paid you to find him as well because they didn’t know where he went” Kibum smiled to himself, he hadn’t heard Minho plead for someone in a while.

“I brought my favorite knife set, maybe I could have some fun before I kill him” Kibum giggled as he picked the lock, letting himself into the house, “Now, why is it you called me?”

“You know why, to stop you. I know you Kibum, you didn’t think I knew?” Minho asked.

“Is that so? Well if you’re such a Mr. Observant, when did you realize?” Kibum looked around the house, studying the photos.

“I knew you were after someone when you showed up at Jonghyun’s music shop and didn’t buy anything” Minho told him and Kibum nodded to himself.

“When I saw Jinki there I knew I had to find another way, he notices too much” Kibum smirked, “No wonder you like him so much”

“Don’t change the subject” Minho warned.

“What? I was just pointing something out. You’re little fling is cute and all, but you and me both know it’s not gonna last” Kibum picked up a decorative bowl, looked kind of expensive.

He decided he might take it with him if the fight didn’t break it.

“Kibum, get out of that house,  _ now _ ” Minho ordered and Kibum laughed.

“I don’t take orders from you, but your strict voice is sexy” Kibum pulled a hood over his head.

“Why don’t you just let him go, he lost his whole family to these guys, why not kill them instead?” Minho asked.

Kibum found that appealing, “I have another idea” He paused, feeling Minho’s anticipation through the phone, “What if.. I took them all out?”

Minho sighed, “I don’t understand, why wouldn’t you try and save him? He’s one of your boyfriend’s best friends!”

“Oh Minho, you think I still get those kinds of attachments” Kibum smiled to himself, “Jonghyun is cute and all, but he could never love the real me” His smile faded, “No, only you could love the real me, but you’ve found yourself another doll”

“But do you really want to hurt him like this? To watch him mourn his friend?!” Minho was angry now, Kibum liked when he was angry.

“Are you sure this is about Jonghyun? Not Jinki?” Kibum asked, “Is it just that you don’t want him to have to mourn Taemin? Or do you actually care for this man’s life?”

“Taemin is my friend too-” Kibum cut him off there.

“You just met him! You couldn’t possibly care for him already!” Kibum found himself becoming angry.

“Do you want to watch me mourn him, Kibum? Are you prepared to watch me cry over his dead body?” Minho was playing him, he knew it, but god was it working.

“Stop it!! You won’t cry over him because you don’t care about him! You don’t care about anyone! I’m going to finish this contract and you  _ cannot  _ stop me!” Kibum yelled into the phone, hanging up before Minho could respond.

Kibum picked up a picture of Taemin and his brother, he pulled the picture out and stuck it to the wall with a knife. He stepped away from it, pulling out a few throwing knives, landing each of them on Taemin’s face.


	18. If It Overflows

Jinki locked the door to the shop, a content sigh leaving his lips. A smile crossing them as he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the name, somehow happier. It was Minho.

“Hey, I just locked up” Jinki answered, starting down the sidewalk.

“Oh, is Taemin still with you?” Minho asked, something unrecognizable behind his voice.

He looked behind him, seeing Taemin’s back. “He lives the other way, why?”

“I was thinking of inviting him over… like a, uh, apology for yesterday” Minho spoke a little quicker than Jinki was used to.

“I think I can catch up with him, do you still want to invite him?” Jinki asked, now turning around to look at Taemin.

“Yeah, and keep me on the phone, I wanna invite him myself” The request felt odd, but Jinki didn’t think too much about it.

“Okay, I will” Jinki told him, and began to jog in Taemin’s direction, “Taemin!”

The younger turned around, a confused look on his face as Jinki approached him.

“Hey Jinki, what is it?” Taemin asked, stopping so Jinki could catch up to him.

“Minho’s on the phone, he wanted to talk to you” Jinki answered, handing Taemin the phone.

“Hello?” Taemin spoke into the phone, nodding to himself.

Jinki tried not to seem like he was listening, especially after Taemin looked at him in a way that may not have meant to be suspicious, but that’s how Jinki saw it. 

“O-okay, I.. thank you” Taemin spoke softly, and Jinki felt there was something else going on.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Taemin wipe his eye and turn away from him. And now Jinki was worried. Why was he crying? Why did Minho sound different on the phone? Just what was going on?

“Okay.. see you soon” Taemin finished, turning back around and handing Jinki the phone, “Here, he wants to talk to you”

Jinki took the phone, concern in his eyes, “Hello? What’s happening?”

“I can’t explain it, not right now, Taemin just can’t go home” Minho sounded worried and Jinki sighed.

“I’ll let it go today, but I expect an explanation next time” Jinki motioned for Taemin to walk with him, “We’re on our way now, I’ll see you soon”

Jinki hung up before Minho could respond, pocketing his phone and watching as Taemin began to jog. Jinki didn’t know exactly what was happening, but he began to jog with Taemin, still worried about the younger. 

They made their way into the apartment, finding Minho pacing inside, and Jinki was concerned. 

Minho let out a long sigh, “You both made it” He went to hug Jinki, and the hug felt as if Minho was scared of losing him.

“Thank you again” Taemin half-mumbled, and the couple looked at him when the hug broke.

“I’m sorry about all of that, I’ll sleep on the couch tonight, you can take my bed” Minho pointed at Taemin, his other hand holding onto Jinki’s.

“Is there anything I can do?” Jinki asked, but Taemin just sighed.

“I… I don’t know…” Taemin seemed lost, and Minho approached him.

“Don’t worry, everything will be okay soon, I promise” Minho placed a hand on his shoulder, “Just, try not to think about it, relax with Jinki, when I come back you won’t have to worry anymore”

Taemin teared up, “Th-thank you” Jinki watched as the youngest leaned against Minho, crying on his chest.

Jinki came up now, offering his shoulder to Taemin so Minho could leave the apartment. There was an apologetic look that Jinki got from Minho just before he left, and Jinki took a deep breath.

Just what was Minho going to do?


	19. The More It Overflows

Kibum sighed to himself, what was taking him so long? He wanted to get started already, to feel the fear come off of the young man. Kibum leaned up against a wall, straightening up when he heard footsteps coming toward the door. A smile made its way across his face, he slipped a knife into his hand and waited for Taemin to open the door.

It creaked open slowly, he took a few steps forward, keeping the lights off. This felt so easy that Kibum felt like a kid on Christmas. In one swift movement, Kibum pinned the shadow against the wall, his knife at its throat.

Kibum glared, almost growling at the sight, “Choi Minho, where is he?” He refused to move the knife, keeping Minho pinned.

“I couldn’t let you do it, so he’s safe” Minho answered, and Kibum could tell it was the truth.

“Why?! I’ve never interfered with any of your contracts, why are you suddenly interfering with mine?!” Kibum was angry, and he pushed the knife closer, but still not close enough to cut him.

“Jinki’s not stupid, he’s onto you, and sometimes money can’t fix things” Minho warned, and Kibum just laughed at this.

“If I go down, I take you with me, then Jinki has to live with the fact he put you in jail” Kibum smiled, “After he finds out how similar we are, he might like the idea, and then you’ll be alone again” Kibum hummed, “At least we’ll have each other”

“Is that why you won’t give up? Because you miss me? You think Jinki will leave and I’ll crawl back to you? It’s that it?” Minho asked, and Kibum hated how calm his voice was.

“I won’t give up because it’s my  _ job _ ” Kibum grit his teeth, “And might I remind you, it’s your job too” Kibum chuckled, “What will Jinki think when he finds out? I bet he’ll just run in fear”

“Ya! Stop it!” Minho yelled but Kibum threatened with the knife.

“Careful, I might send you back with battle scars… or worse, in a bag” Kibum smiled, but Minho’s eyes didn’t believe him fully.

“You wouldn’t kill me, you can’t, you’re too attached” There was a fear behind his eyes that Kibum loved.

“Wouldn’t I? You’re compromising the mission, the boss would gladly let me get away with it” Kibum lied, Minho was right, he was attached.

“Then do it, kill me, if you can’t then you have to let Taemin go” Minho compromised and Kibum huffed in anger.

“F-fine” For once Kibum wasn’t sure if he could finish this job.

He brought the tip of the knife to Minho’s jaw, dragging across his jawline. Not enough to cause a major injury, just enough to have a long scar when it heals. Kibum swallowed hard, he had killed so many times before, but why was it so hard this time. He knew why though, or course he knew, and he was scared Minho knew it too. Because then he’d have a weakness, and he wasn’t supposed to have weaknesses. No, Kim Kibum wasn’t weak, he couldn’t be, he  _ hated  _ being weak.

Minho smiled at him, almost mocking him, and it made him mad.

So, so mad.

Before he knew it the knife came down into Minho’s leg, the taller letting out a short yell of pain and Kibum’s eyes widened. He pulled it out, looking at the blood stain, and for once he felt sick. He felt woozy, dizzy, nauseous,  _ weak _ . He looked back at Minho, his face twisted in pain and concern. Then he heard the knife hit the ground, the sound making Kibum flinch.

No.

No, no, no.

He couldn’t have done that to Minho.

He would never do that to Minho.

He  _ loved _ Minho.

He stumbled backwards a bit and watched Minho reach for him. He couldn’t feel his hands or hear the words coming out of his mouth. This has only happened once before, the last time he loved someone, to the only other person he’d ever loved.

But they  _ died _ .

Minho  _ couldn’t  _ die.

While Kibum could see Minho talking and holding onto him and even  _ standing, _ the older couldn’t shake the feeling that he was about to lose him. Something had taken over, and it had left him with only his sight and his thoughts.

He  _ hurt  _ Minho.

He was going to  _ kill  _ Minho.

He closed his eyes, it wasn’t happening if he couldn’t see it. Minho wasn’t hurt if Kibum couldn’t see the blood. But he felt him now, Minho’s hands on his shoulders, he missed those hands. He wanted to hold those hands again, but he couldn’t move himself, scared of hurting Minho again.

Kibum tried to change his focus, tried to listen to Minho, wanted to listen to him. It was muffled at first, but he could hear the younger speak his name.

“Kibum.. please, what’s wrong? Please answer me, please come back” It was desperate and sad, it hurt Kibum’s heart, but he couldn’t find his voice.

One step at a time, just like last time.

He blinked his eyes open, taking in Minho’s features. He focused on his eyes first, then his nose, eyebrows, ears, and then.. lips. He missed those lips, just like everything else, but he thinks he missed those the most. He remembers when they used to spill compliments and “I love you”s, and he finds himself smiling softly at the memory.

Kibum started to find the will to move again, still shaky, but unable to speak. Minho became less worried as Kibum started moving again, but he still wanted the older to speak to him. And then Minho hugged him.

Kibum was shocked, he had just stabbed him, and now they were  _ hugging _ .

“It’s okay Kibum, everything is okay, I forgive you” Minho spoke and Kibum felt tears come to him.

He’s been  _ forgiven _ .

No one’s ever forgave him.

He’s a killer after all.

“I-I’m sorry” Kibum mumbled, and Minho seemed to hug tighter.

“It’s okay, I’ll be okay” Minho replied and Kibum was surprised at the kind words.

“I don’t know what I was thinking- I could never hu-urt you” Kibum somewhat apologized, “I won’t hurt Taemin.. I’ll kill those loan sharks, I’ll help him, if it means I never have to hurt you again”

“Thank you, Kibum” It made his heart smile, “Thank you so much”


	20. Just The Way It Is

When Minho walked into the apartment, Jinki almost had a heart attack.

“What happened? Are you okay? What’s going on?!” Jinki held onto Minho’s arm as he told Taemin where the first aid kit was.

“Don’t worry about it baby, it’s okay now, I just had to scare off some loan sharks for Taemin” Minho smiled at Jinki, a hand caressing his face.

“You should’ve taken someone with you, you shouldn’t have gone alone” Jinki grabbed Minho’s hand as Taemin came up.

“I did, I took Kibum with me, everything is okay now” Minho gazed into Jinki’s eyes as Taemin cut open Minho’s pants where he was stabbed.

“Hope you didn’t love these pants” Taemin mumbled, starting to tend to the wound.

“Do you want to go to the hospital?” Jinki asked and Minho shook his head.

“I’ll be fine, I’ve had worse” Minho admitted and watched as Jinki started patching up the cut along his jaw.

“I guess law firm work is dangerous” Taemin said and Minho just agreed.

“Is Kibum okay?” Jinki asked, getting a surprised looked from Minho.

“Yeah, he’ll be okay, didn’t think you’d ask about him” Minho replied as Jinki finished bandaging the cut.

“I may not trust him, but he’s your best friend, I want him to be okay” Jinki smiled and Minho leaned in for a kiss.

“You two are so sweet” Taemin smiled, closing the first aid kit.

The kiss broke and they looked at Taemin, “Thank you” Minho smiled.

“So, does this mean I can go home now?” Taemin asked and Minho nodded.

“They won’t bother you anymore, you’re safe now” Minho told him, the younger smiling.

“Thank you so much, this really means the world to me” Taemin was on the verge of tears.

“You can still stay here tonight if you want” Minho offered, but Taemin shook his head.

“Thanks, but I’ll be okay, was anything damaged?” The youngest asked, and Jinki recognized Minho’s sympathetic look.

“A picture of you and your brother, it was used for target practice” Minho sighed and Taemin nodded.

“I expected worse..” Taemin trailed off and Jinki put a hand on his arm.

“What matters is that you’re safe” Jinki spoke and Taemin smiled at him through tears.

“Let me know if anything else happens, I won’t let anything happen to you” Minho told him and Jinki found himself a tiny bit jealous, but he shrugged it off.

“I’m just.. so happy to feel safe again and I’m so grateful for that” Taemin wiped his face and the couple couldn’t help but smile at him.

Jinki got up to get some tissues for Taemin, but his phone ringing in his pocket slowed him down. He read the caller ID, it was Jonghyun, he answered it.

“Hello?” Jinki picked up a box of tissues.

“Hey, do you have drinks?” Jonghyun asked and Jinki was taken aback.

“Uh, I think we have beer, why?” Jinki looked at Minho confused.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes” Jonghyun replied, and Jinki was at a loss for words as the younger hung up.

“Was that Jonghyun?” Minho asked and Jinki nodded.

“He asked if we had drinks and then said he’d be over in ten” Jinki explained and the three shared confused looks.

“Do you think something happened?” Taemin asked and Jinki shrugged.

“Maybe, but we’ll find out when he gets here” Jinki handed the tissues to Taemin and sat back down on the couch.

The two helped Taemin feel better as they waited for Jonghyun. Jinki tried to push his worry down, knowing that he’d get all the details when Jonghyun arrived. He sighed in relief when there was a knock at the door.

Jinki was the one to open it, not wanting Minho to stand if he didn’t have to. He met Jonghyun’s eyes and the younger moved past him and into the apartment.

“Jonghyun, what’s wrong?” Jinki asked as they watched him go to the fridge and pull out a beer.

No one spoke as Jonghyun opened the can and chugged what Jinki thought was about half of the can. He lowered the can and wiped his lips, looking between his three friends.

Jonghyun sighed, tears threatening his eyes, “Kibum broke up with me”


	21. Dreams That Have Become Similar

“Jonghyun.. I’m so sorry” Minho apologized first, standing up despite Jinki’s pleas.

“He didn’t even call me, he just texted me ‘we’re done’ after not talking to me all day” Jonghyun explained, the tears falling down his cheeks as Minho limped toward him.

“He can be really inconsiderate sometimes, I’m so sorry” Minho offered Jonghyun a hug, and the shorter gladly took it.

Jinki and Taemin watched the scene unfold, trying to decide if they should join the hug or let Minho handle it. Minho knew Kibum better and Jinki assumed he had been hurt like this by Kibum before, so maybe it was better for Minho to take care of Jonghyun. After all, the taller may know exactly how Jonghyun is feeling right now.

Jonghyun sobbed into Minho’s chest, calling Kibum names as he balled his fist in Minho’s shirt. Minho rubbed his back in a circle motion with one hand, using the other to keep Jonghyun upright.

“Does he hurt everyone like this?” Jonghyun asked and Minho took a deep breath.

“He just doesn’t think about anyone but himself sometimes, and in that process he deeply hurts people” Minho sounded upset as well, “I’m sorry he did this to you, you didn’t deserve this”

“I thought things were going so well, I thought he was in love with me, just like I am with him..” Jonghyun trailed off and that's when Jinki joined the hug.

“I knew I had a bad feeling about Kibum” Taemin gritted his teeth, and it seemed no one else was supposed to hear him.

“Jinki had a bad feeling too, I really wished I had  _ listened  _ to it” Jonghyun moved to look at Taemin.

“What is wrong with him?! How could he date you for a few days and then just drop you?! Were you nothing to him?!” Taemin was trying not to yell, and Jinki noticed a sad look on Minho’s face at the last sentence.

“You’re right! How could he just toy with me like that?! What am I doing crying over him?! I should be getting my revenge!” Jonghyun joined Taemin, stepping away from Minho and Jinki.

“Uh, what if instead of revenge you just.. asked for the reason he broke up with you so suddenly?” Jinki suggested and Minho agreed.

“If you can have closure then maybe it’ll help with the healing process” Minho added and Jonghyun looked down.

“I guess so” Jonghyun spoke softly.

Taemin’s face was still twisted in anger, “That asshole should get what’s coming to him”

“And he will, just not from you two” Minho insisted and Taemin huffed.

“It’s late, and I’m not sending you two home this late at night, one of you can sleep on the couch and the other in my bed” Jinki suggested, looking to Minho for approval.

“Are you sure? Where would you sleep?” Taemin asked and Jinki shrugged.

“I can sleep on the floor-“

“My bed’s a queen, you can sleep with me” Minho interrupted, and Jinki was slightly shocked.

He had only ever stepped foot into Minho’s room once, and although they were dating, Minho had never offered Jinki sleep with him.

“I’ll take the couch” Jonghyun offered only for Taemin to pout at him.

“You just went through a break up, you should have the bed, I’ll take the couch” Taemin argued.

The two argued as Minho and Jinki spoke to each other.

“You’ve never offered me a spot in your bed before” Jinki looked up at Minho.

“You’ve always had another place to sleep” Minho smiled, holding Jinki’s hand.

“I thought you didn’t like people being in your room” Jinki was confused.

“I don’t like snoopy people in my room, I trust you Jinki” Minho admitted and Jinki felt his heart grow a few sizes.

After a while, Jonghyun and Taemin had decided where they were going to sleep. Jinki prepared the couch for Taemin while Minho made sure Jonghyun got to bed. The couple reunited in Minho’s bedroom, Jinki taking in the luxurious sight before sitting on the bed.

“I guess you didn’t get to really look at it last time, what do you think?” Minho asked as he changed into pajamas in the dim room.

“It’s really fancy looking, very modern” Jinki smiled and looked over to Minho, “I love it”

Minho smiled back at him, pulling off his button up, “I’m glad, make yourself comfortable” He quickly replaced his button up with a t-shirt, and Jinki thought he may have seen a scar or two.

“Are you still in pain?” Jinki asked, his eyes falling on the gauze on his face and leg.

“My leg will probably hurt for a while, but I’ll be fine” Minho insisted and sat down on the bed to put on his pajama pants.

“Keep the cuts clean, I don’t want them to get infected” Jinki told him and Minho chuckled.

“Don’t worry baby, I won’t let them get like that” Jinki imagined his smile although he couldn’t see it, “Now get some sleep, it’s been a stressful day”

Minho slipped under the covers, and Jinki followed, the two facing each other. Jinki smiled at his boyfriend, who then pecked Jinki’s lips. The two giggled at each other, and Minho’s arms found their way around Jinki. Jinki took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as something still bothered him.

“Hey, Minho?” Jinki asked, a hand wandering in Minho’s hair.

“Yes?” Minho answered, eyes half closed.

“How exactly did you deal with those loan sharks?” Jinki asked and Minho sighed.

“Well, we tried to intimidate them, but eventually I just agreed to pay for Taemin” Minho explained and Jinki was surprised.

“So they’re after you now?!” Jinki was worried and Minho shushed him.

“I have money in savings, I’m going to pay them in a week and they’ll leave us all alone” Minho smiled at Jinki, trying to keep him calm, “Everything’s going to be fine, I promise”

“Are you sure?” Jinki asked and Minho nodded.

“I’m positive” Minho pet Jinki’s hair, making Jinki smile, “Now let’s go to sleep”


	22. When Eyes Open

If he didn’t need the money, Jonghyun wouldn’t have opened the shop today, but he was thankful to be surrounded by friends throughout the day. Jinki and Taemin kept him smiling, and Jonghyun couldn’t imagine working with anyone else.

“We should all go out tonight, like to a karaoke bar” Taemin suggested and Jinki was quick to agree.

Jonghyun smiled at Taemin, “That sounds great, I nominate Jinki to pay for us” He pointed at the older and Taemin agreed.

“Why me? Why not Taemin? He suggested it” Jinki argued through a smile.

“Because you can bring Minho, and then  _ he  _ can pay” Jonghyun explained and Jinki nodded in understanding.

“Sounds like a plan to me” Jinki replied, but Jonghyun’s attention was on Taemin.

Taemin was glaring at something outside the shop, making the other two turn to look, but Jonghyun wishes he hadn’t. The door opened and the bell rang, and Jonghyun watched Kim Kibum walk in, head down, a bag in his hand. Kibum didn’t seem to pay any attention to anyone, standing in front of Taemin, he held out the bag and looked up at him.

“The loan sharks stole this” There wasn’t much emotion behind his voice, and he didn’t flinch when Taemin ripped the bag from his hand.

Once the bag left his hand, Kibum turned to leave, but Jonghyun wasn’t going to let him.

“Kibum” He didn’t stop, “Ya, Kim Kibum!” Jonghyun yelled, coming towards him.

Kibum turned to look at him, “What?”

“You know what! You ignored me for an entire day and then just broke up with me, why?” Jonghyun asked, angry when Kibum didn’t look bothered.

“What, do you want a reason?” Kibum asked, and Jonghyun wanted to cry, he was so mad.

“I think I deserve an explanation” Jonghyun took a deep breath.

“I broke up with you for your sake, I fell out of love with you, it’s not you it’s me” Kibum answered sarcastically, “What do you want to hear Jonghyun? I can’t tell you the truth, so what do you want from me?”

“I just want closure! Were you just toying with me? Did you even love me, Kim Kibum?!” Jonghyun felt tears start to fall.

“Why do you ask questions that you don’t want answered? Even if I were to give you half the truth you wouldn’t like the answer!” Kibum seemed to be pleading with him, but he didn’t care.

“Just answer me Kibum! Did you love me?” Jonghyun blinked the tears out of his eyes so he could see.

“You want the truth? No, I didn’t, I’m not capable of that kind of quick and easy love, but I am a  _ great  _ actor” Kibum was angry now.

Jonghyun shoved him, “Get out!” He yelled, Jinki and Taemin now coming to his sides.

Kibum had his head down, and Jonghyun couldn’t read his expression.

“He said get out” Taemin spoke up, walking in front of Jonghyun.

There was a soft laugh, “Oh, I see” Kibum looked up, an unsettling smile on his face, “It all makes sense now, he was playing matchmaker” Kibum backed up towards the door, “I wish you and Taemin the best!”

Jonghyun wanted to punch the smile right off of his face.

“Are you okay?” Jinki’s words came with comforting hands, but Jonghyun didn’t respond, his gaze falling on Taemin.

He was burning holes through Kibum’s back, and Jonghyun found himself putting a hand on Taemin’s shoulder. The younger looked at Jonghyun in surprise and then sympathy.

“I want to go home” Jonghyun admitted, looking down, his hand falling from Taemin’s shoulder.

“Go ahead, we can watch the shop” Taemin suggested, but Jonghyun shook his head.

“I don’t want to be alone, we’ll do karaoke another day, how about drinks at my place?” Jonghyun suggested, wiping his tears.

Jinki nodded, “We can do that, we’ll just close early”

“Thank you” Jonghyun smiled at the two, and they all ended up in a hug.

They closed up shop, switching the sign, turning off the lights, locking the doors. When they finished, they were all in front of the shop, wrapped up in their coats, shivering as they spoke to each other.

“Maybe we can make our own karaoke” Taemin said and the two looked at him to explain, “Well, I’ve heard you play guitar” Taemin pointed at Jinki, “And I know Jonghyun plays piano, and I don’t do much but I can sing” Taemin laughed at himself.

“Sounds like fun to me” Jinki smiled and Jonghyun nodded.

“Then you should go get your guitar, I’ll text you my address, let me know when you get there” Jonghyun smiled at Jinki as the older agreed.

“I have to drop this bowl off at home, text me the address too and I’ll meet you there” Taemin suggested but Jonghyun shook his head.

“I’ll tag along, I don’t wanna be alone” Jonghyun more demanded, but he knew Taemin wouldn’t mind.

“Okay, then I’ll see you guys soon!” Jinki waved as he walked away, the other two telling him to be safe.

“I live this way” Taemin spoke up awkwardly, pointing the other direction and Jonghyun nodded.

“Let’s go then” Jonghyun smiled and let Taemin lead the way.


	23. If It's Poison

Everything was set up and ready, so once the doorbell rang he answered quickly. He smiled at the man, recognizing his face from the file he was given.

“Hello, are you Hyunsoo?” Minho asked and the man nodded.

“And you must be Minho” He smiled as Minho led him into the apartment.

“Well, this is the apartment, it’s very spacious and homey. My room is the first door on the right, yours would be at the end of the hall” Minho lied, gesturing down the hall and Hyunsoo nodded.

“It’s very nice, and the rent isn’t that bad” Hyunsoo started down the hall and then stopped and turned to face Minho, “There’s no bug problem right? Or noisy neighbors or something?”

Minho chuckled in relief, “No, nothing like that, I bring in a good amount of money so my roommate doesn’t need to chip in as much” Minho wished this would hurry up.

“Ah, what do you do?” Hyunsoo asked as Minho started walking towards his real room.

“I work at a law firm, long hours but good pay” Minho told him and smiled when Hyunsoo followed him, “Don’t mind the tarps, I was planning on repainting the room if you don’t move in”

Hyunsoo walked into the room, the tarps crinkling under his feet, the sound merging with Minho’s own footsteps as he moved between Hyunsoo and the door.

“It’s a really nice room, what color were you thinking?” Hyunsoo asked, and Minho reached behind his back for his concealed knife.

“I was thinking something warm, like red” Minho came closer, Hyunsoo paying more attention to the bed than Minho.

“A pastel yellow would-” Hyunsoo stopped when Minho held the knife against his neck.

“I don’t care for yellows” Minho replied, smiling as Hyunsoo’s breathing became erratic.

“Wh-What are you doing?” Hyunsoo asked in an attempt to be brave.

“Well, someone wants you dead Hyunsoo, and I’m just the assassin paid to do it” Minho explained, walking around Hyunsoo so he could look him in the eyes.

“P-Please just l-let me go-o” Hyunsoo pleaded and Minho scoffed.

“And get myself fired? I’d rather not” Minho told him.

“Who wa-ants me de-ad?” Hyunsoo asked and Minho just shrugged.

“The boss gave me the file and told me not to ask questions, they didn’t want to be found out” Minho explained.

“H-How much? Can I buy my li-ife back?” Hyunsoo asked and Minho just shook his head.

“We only work one way, no returns and no trades, sorry” Minho mockingly apologized, watching a tear slide down Hyunsoo’s cheek.

“Is there no way I can convince you to let me go?” Hyunsoo asked and Minho pretended to think.

He made a humming sound, finally deciding to shake his head at Hyunsoo.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon” Minho smiled and Hyunsoo swallowed hard.

Minho brought the knife down a little, planning to stab him in the stomach, his eyes still on Hyunsoo. So when a fist came towards him, he dodged it easily, plunging the knife into his chest instead.

“You ba-astard” Hyunsoo spoke, his face twisted in pain.

“You don’t even know” Minho replied, taking the knife out and now pushing it into Hyunsoo’s stomach, twisting it.

Hyunsoo coughed up blood, the life leaving his eyes, something Minho’s seen too many times. And finally with a loud thud, Hyunsoo collapsed onto the floor, bleeding out onto the tarps. Minho took a deep breath, looking down to see the fresh blood stains on his t-shirt. He sighed, deciding it may be better to just throw the shirt out instead of trying to wash the blood out, a good fire will get rid of it.

He crouched down beside Hyunsoo, checking for a pulse, just to make sure he had finished the job. The knife went into his chest again, as Minho thought he felt a pulse for a second. Another sigh as he pulled the knife out and laid it on the tarp over his bed. He laughed softly to himself, the tarps were a great idea, less to cleanup.

Minho stood up, looking down at Hyunsoo, then at his hands, he needed to wash up. He turned towards the door, then his heart jumped out of his chest.

“Jinki..” Minho spoke softly, his eyes on his boyfriend in the doorway.

This wasn’t happening, Jinki couldn’t know, he couldn’t see Minho like this. He wasn’t supposed to be home for hours, Minho had planned this perfectly,  _ this couldn’t be happening _ .

The fear in Jinki’s eyes broke Minho to pieces.

It’s over isn’t it?


	24. Colors You Like

Taemin led Jonghyun through his neighborhood and to his house, the two walking in silence as the wind blew around them. Jonghyun shivered at the cold, he turned his head to look at Taemin, the younger also visibly shivering.

“We’re here” Taemin announced, leading Jonghyun down the walkway.

“It looks cozy” Jonghyun commented as Taemin started unlocking the door.

“It wasn’t locked..” Taemin had a sense of worry in his voice, so Jonghyun placed a hand on his shoulder.

They walked into the house cautiously, Jonghyun on high alert and ready to call the police if necessary.

“Hello” Taemin turned on the lights, and Jonghyun hoped there was no reply.

They checked every room, just to be sure, and both of them were filled with relief when they found the house was empty. Taemin put the stolen item, a decorative bowl, back where it went and Jonghyun looked around.

“It’s a nice place” Jonghyun smiled, looking at the family photos, noticing an empty frame.

“Thanks, the rent is cheap because the neighborhood looks bad” Taemin replied, picking up the empty frame, “I have to put this up and then we can go”

“Okay” Jonghyun said, watching Taemin walk off to his room.

He noticed the ruined photo of Taemin and his brother in the trash. The sight hurt his heart, and Jonghyun wondered if he was really okay after all of this. Taemin returned from his room and the two left the house, starting on their way to Jonghyun’s.

“Are you okay?” Jonghyun asked after Taemin finished locking the door.

“I might not be right now.. but I will be” Taemin answered and Jonghyun nodded, “Those men took so much from me and then they tried to take my life… if it wasn’t for Minho I’d be..” He trailed off and Jonghyun offered him a hug.

“But you’re not.. you’re safe and surrounded by people who care about you” Jonghyun told him as they hugged.

“I know, and I’m so thankful” Taemin hugged a little tighter, “I hope I never lose you”

Jonghyun smiled, “You won’t, I’ll always be there for you” He rubbed Taemin’s back to comfort him.

“Can I.. tell you something?” Taemin asked, pulling back to look Jonghyun in the eyes.

“Of course” Jonghyun noticed the nervousness in Taemin’s eyes.

“I like you, I have for a while now” Taemin confessed and Jonghyun smiled sweetly at him.

“I know you do” Jonghyun told him and Taemin looked at him confused, “The comment Kibum made earlier, about matchmaking, it was the last hint I needed”

“You knew before that too?” Taemin asked and Jonghyun nodded.

“I was waiting for you to confess, I didn’t want to bring it up before you did” Jonghyun answered, giggling at Taemin’s shocked expression.

“Am I that obvious?” Taemin asked as they started walking again.

“A little bit, but I also overheard you and Jinki talking about it” Jonghyun admitted.

“You’re not uncomfortable with it are you?” Jonghyun shook his head at this.

“In fact, if I were ready for another relationship right now, I’d suggest we start dating” Jonghyun blushed a little.

“Really?” Jonghyun nodded, “Then I’ll be here when you’re ready”

Jonghyun smiled brightly at him, “You’re so sweet, can we.. hold hands?” He was nervous to ask, worried it might send a mixed signal.

“Uh yeah!” Taemin was flustered as they gently connected their hands.

Jonghyun sighed happily, he may not be emotionally ready for another relationship, but knowing Taemin was waiting for him made his heart swell. And he decided he was in debt to Minho for keeping Taemin safe, just like Taemin he was forever grateful.

The walk to Jonghyun’s was calm and sweet. While the wind was cold, their hearts were warm and their smiles bright. As they came close to Jonghyun’s house, it began to snow, and Jonghyun became even happier. A day that started with heartache had now become one he would cherish as the snow landed on the sidewalk.


	25. Turned Away

Blood. So much blood. Jinki’s never seen that much blood in one place. And right beside it, Choi Minho, his boyfriend.

“Jinki..” It was soft and Jinki wanted to respond but he couldn’t, something wouldn’t let him.

Minho’s eyes were glued to him, but he was looking at everything. The blood, the knife, the man, the tarps, it was all too much. He began to back up, alarms going off in his mind, telling him to get out to run and who was he to argue. The only thing that slowed him down was Minho’s voice reaching for him.

“Jinki please, don’t go” Minho pleaded, and Jinki felt bad.

But it didn’t stop him, he was backing out of the hallway and stumbling out of the apartment before Minho could approach him. Pure fear controlling him.

When he entered the hallway of the complex he began to run. Jinki didn't care if people gave him odd looks, he had to get away, to  _ run _ . Because the person he thought he knew, the person he’s  _ in love with _ , just killed a man.

At the same time Jinki felt guilt, the pain in Minho’s voice when he asked him not to go struck through his heart. But he couldn’t turn back, no, that would be ridiculous, he couldn’t go back to a killer.

That’s when the tears started, as the cold air hit his face when he finally was out of the building. He checked his phone for the address to Jonghyun’s, running there like his life depended on it. Salty tears fell down his cheeks and the piercing cold air turned into snowflakes dusting his hair.

He blinked the tears away, as they blurred his vision. He didn’t know how long it’d take to get to Jonghyun’s, and he had no clue what he was going to tell them. Hell, he didn’t even know what to tell himself, the person he loves is a murderer.

And then he slipped, and stumbled, and he just hoped the fall wouldn’t be too bad. He caught himself on his hands, getting up quickly, his brain still telling him to run and not to stop until he was truly safe.

Jinki checked his phone, he was almost there, he called Jonghyun to make sure they had made it.

“Hello?” Jonghyun answered and Jinki had forgotten he was crying and suddenly talking felt like a bad idea.

“I- I’m almost there, is the do-or open?” Jinki sniffled a bit and just hoped Jonghyun didn’t ask questions now.

“Uh, yeah, do you want us to meet you outside?” Jonghyun asked, and Jinki knew he was worried.

“Ple-ase” Jinki replied and not long after they hung up.

And Jinki continued to run, running to safety seeming to be the only thing he could manage without breaking down. And when he spotted Jonghyun and Taemin he ran faster, and the tears fell harder, and he almost crashed into them. Jinki had pulled Jonghyun into a hug, almost knocking the younger over in the process.

“Jinki.. what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Jonghyun asked but Jinki could only cry.

“Come on, let’s get inside where it’s warm” Taemin suggested, but Jinki didn’t budge.

He just squeezed Jonghyun harder, balled his fists in his jacket, sobbed into his chest until Taemin had to carefully pull them apart.

“Come on, you can cry all you want inside” Jonghyun told him and Jinki nodded, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

Jinki followed them inside, Taemin leading him to the couch where the two sat down.

“Now, are you going to tell us what’s going on or do you need a beer first?” Jonghyun asked, heading towards his fridge.

“Can I stay here for a while?” Jinki asked, ignoring Jonghyun’s question.

“All I have is a couch, unless you want to try and fit in the bed together” Jonghyun answered and Jinki was thankful he didn’t press on.

“The couch is fine” Jinki told him, eyes on his hands.

“Did something happen between you and Minho?” Taemin asked, causing Jinki to start tearing up.

“Do you wanna talk about it? Do we need to go beat him up-“ Jonghyun was cut off.

“No! No, it’s okay” Jinki didn’t want them to be in danger, “Let’s talk about something else”

“Well, those loan sharks that were after Taemin were killed, gang violence or something” Jonghyun pulled three beers out of the fridge.

“I wish I could thank whoever offed them” Taemin added but Jinki was spacing out.

What if Minho did that? He said everything would be okay, what if he killed them? Is that how he got stabbed? And then more tears were falling and Jinki was fisting his hands again.

“Jinki?” Taemin’s voice came through to him and he looked up, trying to smile.

“Yes?” Jinki asked, and Taemin’s eyes became sympathetic.

“Your phone is ringing” Taemin told him and now Jinki heard it, but he was afraid to check it.

“Ah, so it is” Jinki replied and reluctantly pulled it out of his pocket.

Of course it was Minho, who else would it have been? He didn’t answer, he couldn’t, not after that.

“Is it Minho?” Taemin asked and Jinki nodded as the phone stopped ringing, “If he calls again, do you want me to answer it?”

Jinki nodded again and handed his phone to Taemin, wanting the situation out of his hands. The phone rang again, and after a few rings Taemin answered it.

“Hello?” Taemin began and Jinki took a deep breath, “He’s here, and safe, I don’t know what you did but it really hurt him”

Jinki began to cry again and now Jonghyun was comforting him with back rubs and calming words.

“What? I don’t think that’s a good idea, I’m sure you two will work it out” Taemin was in disbelief.

He heard a few more words on the other end before the call ended and Taemin looked to them.

“He wants me to text the address, he wants to send your stuff here” Taemin told them and Jinki gave him a shocked look.

Was this it? Minho didn’t need him anymore? But then again, did Jinki even want to go back?


	26. Stuck In A Mold

Minho heard the door open and slam shut, Jinki was gone. And the tears came as he collapsed onto the floor, onto the blood. Minho felt sick, he didn’t want to lose Jinki, he loved Jinki, Jinki means the world to him. His whole world just walked out in fear, in fear of  _ him _ .

His phone rang in his pocket, and he pulled it out and answered without reading who it was.

“Hello?” He answered, emotionless.

“Minho? I just saw Jinki running down the sidewalk, I’ve never seen him even that scared of me” Kibum had a playful tone and Minho wanted to punch him through the phone, “Did you do that?”

“Did you just call to say you were right?! To say you told me so?! Am I supposed to smile and laugh with you about it?!” Minho was almost yelling as a rush of emotions came through him.

“You knew he’d find out eventually, it’s your fault for not just telling him” Kibum was calm, “Do you need help with clean up?”

“How could you talk about the job?!” Minho yelled this time, anger fueling him now.

“I’m coming over, you’re in no state to clean up a body” Kibum concluded and hung up, leaving Minho alone again.

He resisted the urge to throw his phone, instead putting it beside the knife on his bed. The knife he now hated, the knife that killed Hyunsoo, the knife that scared Jinki away. 

Minho heard the apartment door open and he was upset when it wasn’t Jinki.

“Kibummie’s here to save the day” Kibum half-sang as he approached Minho’s room, “Minho..” For once in a blue moon Kibum sounded worried.

“What? You suddenly care about the situation?” Minho was upset, angry, and Kibum was the last person he wanted to see right now.

But then again, Kibum might be the only person who can help him get Jinki back.

“I didn’t realize how much you were hurting, over some replaceable roommate” Kibum scoffed and Minho balled his fists.

“He’s not replaceable Kibum! No one is replaceable!! We just tell ourselves that so we don’t feel bad once we put the knife in their chest” Minho was crying again.

That’s when he felt Kibum’s hands on his arm, trying to get him to stand.

“Get up, you have to get those clothes off, we have to burn them” Kibum ordered but Minho took his arm back.

“I want to call him, apologize to him, ask him to come back. I can’t lose him Kibum” Minho pleaded, looking to Kibum for advice.

The older sighed and picked up Minho’s phone, “An apology won’t fix this, this isn’t some fight you two had, you have to be prepared to let him go. Give him space and time and, if you’re lucky, he’ll come back” Minho was half-shocked with the advice.

“You’re actually going to help me?” Minho asked and Kibum crouched down.

“Minho, you’re my only friend and the second person I’ve ever loved, or course I’m going to help you” Kibum smiled, genuinely smiled, and Minho wipes his tears.

“So, what do I say to him?” Minho took his phone back from Kibum.

“You could still apologize, but I’d suggest just allow him to leave, if he has a place to stay send his stuff there, if he doesn’t want to see you he doesn’t have to” Kibum sat down on the floor beside him.

Minho took a deep breath, “Do you think it’ll work?”

Kibum just shrugged, “If you end up in court then it didn’t work”

Minho nodded and looked at his phone, pressing the call button on Jinki’s contact. It rang, and rang, and rang until eventually he was sent to voicemail. He frowned at Kibum who in turn pressed the call button again and motioned for him to try again. Only a few rings before someone answered.

“Hello?” Minho was surprised to hear Taemin.

“Taemin? Is Jinki with you, is he safe?” Minho tried not to sound frantic.

“He’s here, and safe, I don’t know what you did but it really hurt him” The words made Minho sick again.

“I’m sorry, he can stay with you or Jonghyun right? Will you send me the address so I can send his things over?” The questions left his lips reluctantly.

“What? I don’t think that’s a good idea, I’m sure you two will work it out” He could hear the disbelief in Taemin’s voice.

“I’m sure he doesn’t want to see me, it’ll be better this way for him. Tell him I’m so sorry” Minho hung up as he felt he was about to break down.

“You handled that well” Kibum’s hand was on his back and Minho half-smiled.

“Why do we live like this?” Minho asked, “We’re each other’s only friends, and we lose anyone else we even try to befriend, all because of our career”

“What do you expect? We kill people for a living” Kibum replied and Minho nodded.

“Why did we choose such a lonely path?” Minho sighed, feeling tears threatening once again.

“I don’t know about you, but the loneliness just suits me” Kibum answered, “Now come on, we gotta clean up” He patted Minho’s back and stood up.


	27. Secrets Growing, By One, By Two

“What?! He’s just kicking you out?!” Jonghyun was mad and Jinki was trying to take deep breaths.

“He thinks you don’t want to see him, and he also apologized, he honestly didn’t sound in his right mind” Taemin tried to calm Jonghyun with the last part.

“Well he better not find a new roommate anytime soon, or I will kill him” Jonghyun threatened and Jinki tried not to react to the word “kill”.

“I’m sure he won’t, he’s probably just trying to give Jinki space” Jinki could tell Taemin didn’t want to hate Minho so quickly.

“Well what do you think of all this? You know Minho the best out of us three?” Jonghyun asked Jinki, but Jinki wasn’t sure if he could form a sentence right now.

“Uh, I- I don’t know, I didn’t hear his voice so I-I don’t know” Jinki answered, trying to make sense of his thoughts.

“Do you want him to send your stuff here? Or do you plan on going back?” Jonghyun placed his hand on Jinki’s.

“I don’t know what to do, I love him but-“ Jinki cut himself off, feeling tears spill over.

“You don’t have to figure it out now, if it’s meant to be then it’ll work itself out” Taemin told him as Jonghyun handed him a tissue.

“Did he.. cheat on you?” Jonghyun asked carefully and Jinki just shook his head, “Did he try to hurt you?”

Jinki shook his head again, not wanting to play twenty questions.

“Did he have some kind of secret?” Jonghyun asked and Jinki froze.

“Hey, stop with all the questions, he’ll tell us when he’s ready” Taemin scolded, and the two began to bicker playfully.

And Jinki sank back into his mind, thinking about how many times Minho said he worked for a law firm. How he said Kibum was his coworker, and fear overtook him as he realized he must’ve been right about Kibum. And then he remembered all the deaths since he’d moved, the suicides and the disappearances, were they all? No, no, certainly not all of them, right? Those two couldn’t have done all of those, right? And Jinki felt sick, he had been living with a murderer, and at any moment he could’ve wound up dead too.

“Jinki? Jinki are you okay?” Jonghyun’s voice made Jinki turn his head.

Jinki had a blank expression, but tears were rolling down his face.

“I’m fine” Jinki spoke in monotone and Jonghyun looked even more worried.

“You must be so drained, do you want to turn in early?” Jonghyun asked and Jinki shrugged.

“I’ll head home, you take care of Jinki” Taemin stood up and Jonghyun nodded.

They sent Taemin off and Jonghyun got pillows and blankets for the couch. Jinki watched him place the items on the couch, his arms crossed and his fingers digging into his elbow.

“There, it should be comfortable now” Jonghyun smiled at Jinki, but it faded when Jinki didn’t smile back, “Jinki?”

“Hmm?” Jinki answered, not realizing he’d spaced out, wiping his eyes just in case.

“The couch is ready, do you need anything?” Jonghyun asked and Jinki shook his head.

“Thank you, I’m sorry I’m intruding” Jinki apologized.

“No need to be sorry, you’re my friend, I’d help you in a heartbeat” Jonghyun replied and Jinki held back tears, he was tired of crying.

“I..” Jinki paused, unsure if he wanted to tell Jonghyun this or not, “I think I was right about Kibum”

“Yeah, I can’t trust him either now” Jonghyun sighed and Jinki shook his head.

“It’s not just that, I think he’s dangerous” Jinki tried to explain, not wanting to call him a murderer yet.

“Trust me, I know he’s dangerous” Jonghyun replied.

“No, Jonghyun, I’m serious” Jinki didn’t know what else to say, not wanting to shock Jonghyun.

“Then what do you mean? How is he dangerous?” Jonghyun asked but Jinki couldn’t reply, “Is.. is Minho the same kind of dangerous?”

Jinki held his breath as his eyes teared up, he couldn’t answer because he didn’t want to believe it himself. Jonghyun was quick to comfort him, keeping the rest of his questions to himself and Jinki was thankful for it. At least Jinki knew he’d be safe here.


	28. And I Thought No Way, No Way

“This is the most boring thing I’ve ever done for you” Kibum sighed into the earpiece and adjusted his newspaper.

“I just have to know he’s safe, I keep having this bad feeling” Minho replied and Kibum rolled his eyes.

“So because of your gut feeling you’re having your ex stalk your other ex?” Kibum asked, looking over the newspaper.

“And I thought you liked Jinki, don’t you wanna make sure he’s safe too?” Minho teased.

“You’re a fool to think I care about anyone’s safety but mine and yours” Although Kibum said it, for once he didn’t fully believe it.

“I’m a pretty big fool then” Minho said, and Kibum could see his smile.

“It’s been three days though, if anything was going to happen it would’ve by now” Kibum complained, crossing his legs.

“You can never be too careful, if either of us were the slightest bit sloppy all three of them could be in danger” Minho explained, Kibum hated that he was right.

“You see, that’s why we never made any extra friends” Kibum said and Minho went quiet.

Kibum sighed, this felt ridiculous, they’ve never been sloppy in their lives. Just as Kibum was getting into the newspaper, Jinki walked out of Jonghyun’s house.

“The bunny has hopped out, he’s alone this time” Kibum spoke as he watched Jinki come his way.

“You gotta follow him, he shouldn’t be alone” The worry in Minho’s voice was tangible.

“He’s headed my way” Kibum mumbled as he focused on his newspaper and tilted his head so his hat would cover his face better.

“Don’t lose sight of him or I swear Kibum” Minho replied and Kibum chuckled.

“You forget I’m a pro at this Minho, I’m on the move” Kibum told him as he trashed the newspaper and stood up.

He pulled his hood a little tighter and angled his hat lower as he followed Jinki down the slightly crowded sidewalk.

“You know how observant he is right? You have to be very careful, one wrong move and he runs” Minho commented and Kibum sighed.

“You’ve made sure to mention it, but so far he hasn’t looked back once. He’s headed toward your place, you think he might be coming to get his stuff?” Kibum asked.

“It’s probably a coincidence, he couldn’t be ready to face it already” Minho answered and Kibum shrugged.

“If you say so, but bad news big guy, I don’t think I’m the only one following him” Kibum replied as he eyed someone in similar attire who was closing in on Jinki.

“Are you sure?” Minho asked.

“We’ve taken all the same turns, and he’s closing the distance the less crowded it gets. He’s an amature, I could take him” Kibum answered, trying to calm Minho down.

“Damn it” Was all Minho said.

Kibum’s eyes went between Jinki and the stranger, his eyes narrowing when the man held a finger to his ear.

“He’s not alone” Kibum mumbled.

At this point the three of them were the only ones on the sidewalk, and Kibum became worried when two more sketchy men came from the other direction.

“Start tracking me, this might take a bad turn” Kibum took his earpiece out and clipped it inside his pants pocket so Minho could still hear them.

His fears were confirmed when a van slowed on the road beside them, and Kibum moved to knock out the man between him and Jinki. He tapped his shoulder and decked him as he turned around, then he ran forward towards the two men who were now running at Jinki.

“Kibum?!” Jinki sounded confused and scared all at once.

“Run!” Kibum yelled as he dodged a punch and began to fight one of the men.

He pulled a knife from the back of his pants, stabbing one man and then moving to stab the other. Once he heard the car doors opening he turned around to make sure Jinki was safe.

These men were faster and Kibum’s heart dropped when he saw the first man holding Jinki as he bled from his nose. The new men now grabbing Kibum as he fought, lodging his knife in one of their legs.

“Looks like a lot of people are after you” The bloody nosed man laughed as he moved Jinki to the van, “We’ll take him too, might have more dirt on this bastard”

“What do you want with me?!” Jinki asked only to be thrown into the van, followed by Kibum.

“You could really be nicer to the people you’re kidnapping” Kibum said sarcastically and was met with a slap as the door closed and the engine started.

“Great, we got a mouthy one” One of the men said, as another two started tying Kibum and Jinki up.


	29. I Try Hard To Be Composed

The muffled noises of Kibum annoying the men was in Minho’s ear as he got into his car. He knew he couldn’t catch up with them or they’d know he was following them, so he stopped by Jonghyun’s shop. He decided he’d need some backup in case something went wrong.

He pulled up and jumped out, bursting through the door to find a startled Jonghyun and Taemin.

“Close up quick, Jinki is in trouble” Minho was to the point, but the two shared a look.

“What do you mean Jinki’s in trouble? He said he’d get something to eat and come here, I just texted him twenty minutes ago” Jonghyun asked confused.

“That was twenty minutes ago, this is now” Minho was vague, but Taemin seemed to believe him as he took his key and locked the back door.

“Wait, this doesn’t make any sense, why would he be in trouble? How would you even know??” Jonghyun was visibly concerned.

“Are you going to keep questioning him or are you going to come on? He knew I was in trouble before I did, I say trust him” Taemin told him as he set down his name tag.

Jonghyun sighed, “Fine, but you better explain on the way” He removed his name tag and led the two out, locking the door.

They got in the car and Minho started towards the now still dot on his map.

“Open the glove box, you’ll need one of each” Minho pointed and Taemin complied.

“Of what? What are we about to do?!” Jonghyun almost yelled as Taemin began to stutter.

“Th-this… Minho, what kind of trouble is Jinki in?” Taemin asked as he pulled out a knife.

“He’s been kidnapped, they have Kibum too” Minho explained briefly, more focused on getting there quickly.

“What?! Kidnapped?! Good god Minho what did you get him into?!” Jonghyun asked as he reluctantly took the knife.

Minho felt a jab of pain at that statement.

“A-Are these loaded?” Taemin asked as he pulled out a pistol.

“Yes, be careful” Minho answered, seeing Jonghyun’s shocked face in the rear view mirror.

Minho began to drown out Jonghyun as he listened to Kibum’s muffled voice, trying to judge if they were being hurt. But everything sounded the same and Minho was becoming frustrated.

“Minho?” Taemin’s calm voice brought him back.

“Yes?” He answered.

“How did you know he was kidnapped? And how’d you know I was in trouble?” Taemin asked, and Minho was surprised at how calm he seemed.

“It’s a long story, and you may not like it” Minho answered.

“Are you a stalker?” Jonghyun asked.

“Not quite, try hired assassin” Minho told them, and it was silent for a second.

“Is Kibum one too?” Jonghyun asked, slightly worried.

“We  _ are _ coworkers” Minho answered and Jonghyun hummed in understanding.

“Is that why Jinki left?” Taemin asked.

Minho didn’t want to answer, but he knew they deserved to know now.

“Yes.. I was going to tell him but he.. found out” Minho explained sadly.

“That’s what he meant...” Jonghyun mumbled.

“What do you mean?” Taemin asked.

“Jinki said Kibum was dangerous but he wouldn’t elaborate, and when I asked if Minho was the same kind of dangerous he.. broke down” Jonghyun explained and Minho wanted to cry.

“We’re almost there, be ready it may be guarded” Minho spoke up, trying to forget what Jonghyun had said.

They pulled up to what looked to be an old abandoned school, overgrown with broken windows, and definitely no CCTV anymore. Minho had used it before, a good place to off someone without anyone noticing. Minho felt sick as he parked in the trees, and everyone got out of the car.

“What’s the plan?” Taemin asked and Minho turned to them.

“Defend yourselves, once we find them we get rid of all the bad guys. And don’t leave my side” Minho explained as the two nodded, “It’s not guarded so we’ll be able to just walk in, I’m tracking Kibum so we’ll know where to go. Any questions?”

“Are we going to make it out alive?” Jonghyun asked and Minho met his eyes.

“I will make sure of it” Minho promised and Jonghyun nodded.


	30. Tonight Is Especially Loud

“For god's sake just tell me why you killed him and where his body is and we’ll let you go, it’s not that hard” The woman demanded and Jinki wanted to scream.

“I don’t know! I didn’t kill him! Please please just let me go, I've never heard of him let alone met him” Jinki tried to keep his voice steady but the restraints hurt and the fear of being tortured made his chest hurt.

“Why do you keep asking him questions when I know more about it?” Kibum asked and the sound of her heels let Jinki know she went to him.

“I wanna know why you were following our little killer, did you know my husband? Did you want revenge too?” She asked and Jinki started to take deep breaths.

“Maybe I did, maybe I slept with him” Kibum replied and Jinki couldn’t tell if he was lying or not.

“My Hyunsoo would never cheat you bastard!” She yelled and Jinki heard the slap.

“Looks like you were wrong sweetheart” Kibum wasn’t phased by any of this, and for once Jinki envied him.

“Then why did you try and save him?!” And Jinki knew they were talking about him, he hoped Kibum had another lie up his sleeve.

“Wouldn’t you save someone if you see they’re about to be kidnapped?!” Kibum yelled back and Jinki heard another slap, his skin must’ve been red by now.

“You would save a killer?! What kind of lie is that?!” She laughed.

“Okay, then what do  _ you _ think happened?” Kibum asked with venom in his words.

“I think you two know each other, perhaps even work together” She answered and Jinki became worried.

“Now what gives you that idea?” Kibum asked with a laugh.

“Well you’re definitely ready to lie for this lowlife, ready to fight for him too. He must really mean a lot to you, let’s see if you mean a lot to him” She was back around to Jinki now, smiling down at him, “Untie the loud one”

Footsteps and muttering filled Jinki’s ears as Kibum was untied.

“I have a name you know” Kibum spat back, “Hey, be careful!”

Soon the men were bringing Kibum in front of Jinki, his hands still tied behind his back. 

“Put him on his knees” She demanded and they kicked Kibum’s legs.

“I could’ve kneeled on my own!” Kibum shouted and Jinki watched as the woman held her hand out.

One of the men placed a pistol in her hand and she pointed it to Kibum’s head.

“Now, tell me what I want to know, or your dear friend here will suffer the consequences” Jinki visibly gulped as he met Kibum’s eyes.

That’s when Jinki’s phone went off in his pocket, and everyone looked around the room. Anger settling on the woman’s face as she realized it was from Jinki.

“You buffoons didn’t take their phones?! They could’ve been tracked! Search their pockets!” She demanded and the men complied.

Jinki watched them search Kibum after his phone was taken, anger on the men’s faces as they found the younger’s phone.

“He’s been on a call with this Minho person this whole time” One man told her as he hung up.

“What?! You fools! Someone could’ve found us already!” She yelled and Jinki watched as Kibum removed his hands from his back.

Knife in hand, Kibum took advantage of the situation, stabbing one man in the neck and grabbing the gun from the woman. He pointed it at her and her second goon, as more surrounded him.

“Careful, one wrong move and I’ll shoot her” Kibum warned, a smile on his face.


	31. Oh My God, What's Happening?

“They found his phone, the call ended, we have to hurry” Minho told them as he led them through the dark halls of the school.

“How are we gonna find them now?” Jonghyun asked, worried and visibly shaking.

“There was a slight echo when they would talk, my guess is the gym” Minho answered, “Hopefully Kibum is buying them some time, they didn’t sound too happy with him”

“Everything is going to be okay, right?” Taemin asked and Minho didn’t want to answer.

He took a deep breath, “I’ll make sure it is” Minho tried to sound hopeful and determined, he was also trying to calm his own nerves.

They came up on a few double doors, a little light emitting from the small windows. Minho motioned for the two to get behind him as he peered through the window. He saw Kibum had the upper hand, and he smiled to himself. A smile that faded as a few more guns were pulled out and pointed at him.

“Ready?” He whispered and the two nodded, “Use me as cover and aim away from Jinki and Kibum, I’ll handle the ones around them”

Minho burst through the door and it was open fire. Kibum had started untying Jinki as the trio fired at the goons. They fell one by one, and Minho was surprised by how focused the other two seemed. The woman tried to interfere with Kibum and Jinki and was met with a bullet to the shoulder. 

Kibum had Jinki behind him as he started firing as well, helping thin out the goons. Soon, the goons started to back off, deciding this was more than what they’d bargained for as their boss sat on the ground gripping her shoulder.

When it was safe, Taemin and Jonghyun ran to Jinki, but Minho walked over to the woman. He knew who she was, and he wasn’t happy to see her in person.

“Mrs. Jung, you should really double check your facts before you kidnap the wrong guys again” Minho loomed over her as she glared at him.

“What is this? Some psychopath coming to save his boyfriend?!” Mrs. Jung spat and Minho chuckled.

“Close, it’s me coming to save my ex psychopath boyfriend and my other ex boyfriend” Minho smiled at her, then kneeled down and grabbed her wounded shoulder.

She winced in pain, trying to make eye contact with him.

“If you ever come near us again I will make sure you get the same treatment your husband did” Minho threatened.

“You bastard” She spat in Minho’s face and he let her go.

“Funny, those were his last words” Minho smirked as he walked away, listening to her beginning to stand up.

He made his way over to Jinki and the others, so happy to see Jinki safe that he could cry. He smiled at them, but there was something in their stares. Worry? Shock? He couldn’t tell, but even Kibum looked different.

“I’m so glad you’re safe” Minho spoke, he felt himself start limping, he guessed the leg Kibum had stabbed was acting up.

“Minho..” He wasn’t sure who said it, and that’s when he knew something was wrong.

“What’s wrong?” He asked helplessly as his vision became blurry.

Oh no.

Was he bleeding? Had he been hit? Had the adrenaline kept him going? He stopped and looked down, there was blood for sure, too much blood. He tried to stay calm, there was no guarantee it was bad, but he had lost a lot of blood and needed medical attention. Minho composed himself, looking up at the blurs of his friends.

“I’m gonna be okay, I just need some help” He tried to reassure them, or himself, he wasn’t sure.

His legs were giving in and he heard a choked sob, but he felt relieved when one blur started to help him up. Minho focused on his breathing, knowing that would help him more right now then trying to figure out who’s who.

That’s when his vision slowly went black.


	32. Even That Big Tree Is Shaking

Minho went limp in his arms, he looked to his friends who were frozen in shock.

“Kibum, help carry Minho. Jinki and Jonghyun go ahead and start the car, we have to leave as quick as possible” Taemin ordered, Jonghyun nodded to him and complied.

It was Kibum who stayed frozen, this skilled assassin was just staring at him. As Jinki’s sobs got quieter, Taemin wasn’t sure if he could keep Minho up for much longer.

“Kibum!” Taemin yelled at him this time, and the older seemed to jump, “He needs your help” Taemin pleaded.

He was filled with relief when Kibum wordlessly began supporting Minho’s other side, and they made their way out of the school as quickly as possible.

“Lay him in the back seat” Taemin ordered and Kibum followed.

Taemin got into the back seat with his unconscious friend, and Kibum stood frozen outside of the car. The youngest didn’t waste any time uncovering Minho’s wound, looking around for something to soak up the blood.

“Kibum, give me your jacket and get in the car, we have to leave  _ now _ ” Taemin held his hand out, and once Kibum’s jacket was in his hand he pulled the older into the car.

It may have been cramped, but Taemin wasn’t going to leave anyone behind. The door shut and Jonghyun began to drive away as Taemin pressed on Minho’s wound. There were mumbles of “everything will be okay” coming from the front seat, and a more inaudible mumbling coming from Kibum. Taemin almost didn’t hear it, his thoughts of wishing for Minho to wake up louder than the phrases Kibum had been repeating to himself. He looked up at the older, shocked to see the tears welling up in his eyes. Taemin had never seen Kibum looking so vulnerable. His hands were holding Minho’s face, and Taemin found himself placing a hand of comfort over one of Kibum’s. The older stopped mumbling, a few tears falling as he met Taemin’s eyes.

“He’s going to be okay” Taemin said it to convince not just Kibum, but all of them, even himself.

Kibum looked like he was going to speak, but the car pulled into the hospital parking lot and Jonghyun began to speak.

“I’ll pull the car up to the front door of the E.R., you two get in there as fast as you can please” Jonghyun almost pleaded.

“We will” Taemin assured him, watching Kibum take in a deep breath.

As soon as they entered the hospital, nurses rushed towards them, taking Minho from them. Taemin finished checking him in, then joined Kibum sitting in a waiting chair.

“Are you okay?” Taemin asked carefully, the look in Kibum’s eyes unfamiliar.

“He… He has to make it… I can’t lose him” Kibum’s voice was shaky, Taemin never thought he’d hear him like this.

“He’s going to make it, Minho wouldn’t give up that easily” Taemin insisted.

“N-no you don’t understand, I can’t go through this again” Kibum looked at Taemin with scared eyes.

“Go through what again?” Taemin was confused.

“I just- I can’t, I _can’t_ _lose him_ ” Kibum insisted.

“You  _ won’t _ lose him”

“How do you know?” There was a sliver of anger in his tone.

“How do you know you will?” Taemin countered.

“Because that’s what  _ happens _ , this is how I’m punished” Kibum was staring at his hands.

“That’s ridiculous Kibum, you’re not being pun-”

“Why are you being so nice?! I almost killed you! Why don’t you hate me?!” Kibum interrupted.

Taemin froze for a second, trying to make sense of what Kibum just said.

“What? Do you not remember? Those loan sharks wanted you dead, they hired  _ me  _ to do it” Kibum explained, seemingly irritated.

“Wait, what stopped you?” Taemin asked, trying to keep himself calm.

“Minho…” Kibum sounded crestfallen again.

“He told me you two took care of the loan sharks” Taemin replied.

“We did, Minho didn’t want you to be in danger anymore, we made it look like a gang fight” Kibum smiled at the memory.

Taemin was just glad the older was almost back to normal.

“Thank you” Taemin told him.

“For what? Almost killing you?” Kibum partly laughed.

“For helping Minho that day, you didn’t have to do that” Taemin answered and Kibum nodded.

“There’s a lot of things I’d do for him, I wasn’t going to let him risk his life alone”


	33. I Don't Know When It'll Stop

Jonghyun pulled the car into a parking spot, letting out a sigh of relief with the realization they were safe. He looked over to Jinki and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m so glad you’re okay” It was hard for Jonghyun to get out, the emotions starting to choke him.

Jinki met his gaze, tears welled up in his eyes, and Jonghyun’s heart sank.

“What…” Jinki sighed before continuing, “What’s going on? Why is this happening?” He was desperate for an answer.

“I.. I don’t know” Jonghyun decided the truth would be better right now, “But what matters is that everything is okay now”

“But it’s not! Minho could die!” Jinki let the tears fall now.

“He’s not going to, I promise” Jonghyun told him, even if he wasn’t sure himself.

“And then what, he’ll be fine and I’m just supposed to look at him and not see the blood? Am I just supposed to act like he’s still the same Minho I knew and fell in love with?!” Jinki looked scared and confused.

“No one says you have to do that, you don’t even have to be there when he wakes up. Do you want me to take you home?” Jonghyun asked, wanting Jinki to just feel safe again.

Jinki let out a sob, “No.. I want to be there I just.. I don’t know how to feel”

“You don’t have to know now, take your time to sort out your feelings, no one is rushing you” Jonghyun held the older’s hand now.

“It’s just so confusing.. those men showed up and Kibum tried to save me, he told me to run, but why was he there? Was he following me? Did Minho make him do that? I just don’t know what to think, Jonghyun” Jinki confessed, wiping his tears with his free hand.

“For now, just wait for him to wake up, all he can do is answer your questions from a hospital bed” Jonghyun suggested and Jinki nodded, “Come on, let’s join them”

The two got out of the car and made their way into the hospital, Jonghyun quickly spotted Taemin and Kibum. He was only half-relieved to see that Kibum seemed normal again.

“He’s in surgery right now” Taemin explained as the two got closer, “They’re not sure how long it’ll take, but they’ll let us know”

“We should get something to eat, I can grab us something from the vending machines” Jonghyun offered as Jinki sat down.

“I’ll grab it, you three need each other right now” Kibum suggested, leaving before anyone could protest.

“Thanks” Taemin called after him, sighing as he turned his head to look at his friends, “How are you two holding up?”

“I’m just glad everyone is safe” Jonghyun answered with a small smile.

“Jinki?” Taemin asked cautiously.

“You two.. thank you… that must’ve been scary” Jinki responded.

“The first and hopefully the last time I ever hold a gun” Jonghyun sighed, knowing he’d probably have had a worse reaction had things gone differently.

“If it wasn’t for Minho we’d probably be back there right now” Taemin thought aloud, looking at the ground, “That makes it two times he’s saved my life..”


	34. It Shakes My Room Windows

It had been a few hours, and he was tempted to just leave, it would be easier than staying and hearing the worst. But, for some reason, Kibum felt he had to stay, if not for Minho then for Minho’s friends.

At this point he wasn’t sitting anymore, he had to stand, had to be further away from the three. It was almost as if he was still just watching Jinki, keeping him safe for Minho as he’d been doing for the past three days. He believed it was the least he could do for him, even if the worst came true Kibum had decided he’d watch the trio from afar. Keeping them safe, just like Minho would have wanted.

The thoughts punched him in the gut, he was already thinking as if Minho was gone.

And now Kibum was angry, at the universe or himself he wasn’t sure, but he could feel his blood boiling. He balled his fists and let out a huff to himself, but he was pulled out of his thoughts when a nurse came up to Taemin.

“He’s stable, he’s still unconscious, but he can have visitors. Room 525” That was the only part Kibum needed to hear before he started on his way.

It didn’t take him long to find the room, some kind of autopilot bringing him there, but he stopped before opening the door. He looked in the small window, just barely able to see Minho’s hand, and he felt weak again.

Kibum forced himself to open the door, taking in the sight slowly, his grip on the door knob tightening. He stood there for a while, he’s not sure how long, but the hand on his shoulder told him longer than he meant to.

“Are you okay?” Taemin asked and Kibum looked to him.

He just shook his head.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to go in” Taemin told him, “But if you want, I’ll go with you”

Kibum was confused, but nodded anyway, why was Taemin being so nice? After he almost killed him and hurt his loved one, why did Taemin comfort him?

Taemin closed the door behind them, mumbling something about it being only two at a time, but Kibum was inching closer to Minho’s side. All the tubes connected to Minho scared him, but he tried to tell himself it was okay as he lightly placed his hand over Minho’s. Happiness filled him as he felt the life in Minho’s hand, he felt a tear slip down his face but he couldn’t care less about looking weak anymore. Not when the person he loved was like this.

“Do you want a tissue?” Taemin asked, but Kibum couldn’t get himself to answer.

Thankfully Taemin didn’t press on, letting Kibum lose himself in his newfound hope.

“Did they say how long the anesthesia would last?’ Kibum finally spoke.

“They said it depends, could be thirty minutes, could be a few more hours” Taemin answered and Kibum nodded.

Kibum gave Minho’s hand one more squeeze before moving away, sitting in a chair in a corner of the room. He wanted to let the others have a turn, but he wasn’t going to leave this room unless the doctors forced him out.

Taemin approached Minho, placing a hand on his shoulder, quietly thanking him for keeping everyone safe and Kibum smiled.

“Are you going to stay here?” Taemin asked.

“I want to be here when he wakes up” Kibum answered and Taemin seemed to understand.

Taemin left the room, for a quick moment Kibum was alone with Minho, and then the door opened. Jonghyun quietly shuffled in, his eyes on Minho, ignoring Kibum in the corner. Kibum didn’t notice if Jonghyun said anything, as he had focused himself on Minho and his vitals.

“Kibum” Jonghyun sounded a little annoyed and Kibum looked to him, “I haven’t gotten to thank you... for keeping Jinki safe”

“Not you too” Kibum thought he mumbled, but Jonghyun’s face told him otherwise, “You and Taemin have been so nice to me today, I don’t understand it”

“You and Minho are the reasons we got out of there” Jonghyun explained.

“Does saving your life erase the fact I almost took Taemin’s? Or that I used you?” Kibum asked, the usual cockiness in his voice replaced with something he couldn’t even recognize.

“This isn’t the time to fight, we can deal with that stuff when Minho is out of here, for now we have to keep the stress down” Jonghyun replied, not making eye contact.

“I guess so” Kibum sort of expected something like that, but it doesn’t mean it was the answer he wanted.

Jonghyun finished up and left the room as silently as he came in.

Kibum expected Jinki to walk in, but after a few minutes he wasn’t sure if anyone was going to come in. So it was just him, Minho, and his thoughts, and Kibum didn’t really like the sound of that. He just wanted Jinki to come in and be mad at him or scared of him or  _ something.  _ He wanted something to distract him from his unconscious friend.

“I’m sorry” He found himself mumbling to Minho, “I’m sorry I wasn’t what you wanted in a partner”

He paused, unsure of what he was doing.

“Choi Minho… I love you… With all my heart” He felt himself start to choke up, but he continued, “I’m sorry I’ve always been so, well, me… I just don’t want to lose you like I lost them, and to think I almost did” He let out a little laugh before letting a tear fall.

He sniffled and wiped his eyes, but he just began to cry harder. In between the sobs were little laughs, the situation feeling ridiculous to him, ridiculous and unreal.


	35. Took Too Long To Connect

Jinki took a deep breath, slowly turning the door knob, unsure if he wanted to even go in. His eyes were glued to the floor, trying to get the courage to look at Minho. He heard a soft sniffle come from Kibum, and he wondered for a second if he had cried.

“Are you okay?” A phrase Jinki never thought he’d hear from Kibum.

He looked at Kibum, his face red and puffy.

“I’m not really sure” Jinki answered softly, looking from Kibum to the wall behind him.

“It’s even hard for me to look at him” Kibum looked spaced out for a second.

“Do you think he’ll..?” Jinki couldn’t finish and Kibum met his eyes.

There was this look of desperation in his eyes, and Jinki wondered if he had the same look.

“I don’t know what I’ll do if he doesn’t” Kibum was truthful, Jinki could feel it.

And Jinki realized this was the first time he had really talked to Kibum, no games, no secrets. But Jinki turned away, eyes closed, preparing himself to see what he was dreading. He counted down for himself, taking in a breath and letting it out as he opened his eyes.

Even if he knew Minho was alive, the motionlessness of the man hurt in ways he didn’t imagine. Jinki reminded himself that Minho was just sleeping, he’d wake up and he could hear his voice again. That didn’t stop his tears as he approached Minho, wanting to touch him but scared he’d shatter.

“Minho..” He wanted to say more but the words wouldn’t come out.

There was a painful silence as Jinki was holding back sobs.

“I should probably tell you, it’s thanks to him we got out of there” Kibum spoke softly, “He was scared something would happen, so I watched you”

“You.. stalked me?” Jinki turned to Kibum shocked.

“It was only going to be for a week, until Minho was sure you were safe, you were never supposed to find out” Kibum explained and sighed, “I thought he was being too cautious, but we were kidnapped so he tracked my phone”

Jinki didn’t know how to feel, knowing it was thanks to this that he’s alive right now, but he still had an unsettling feeling in his stomach.

“I understand if you’re upset, neither of us expected you to be happy about it” Kibum told him, his eyes on Minho, “I don’t know if Minho ever expected to see you again”

“Did he not think I would come back?” Jinki asked, although unsure of his own answer to the question.

Kibum shook his head, “In this kind of life… you just get used to letting people go, we’re each other’s longest friends”

Jinki looked back at Minho, his eyes sympathetic as he thought about how Minho must’ve dealt with their parting.

“How was he.. the day I left?” Jinki found himself asking.

“Are you sure you want to hear about it?” Kibum asked, and Jinki thought he had a point.

“I.. I think so” Jinki assured him, his gaze still on Minho.

“In all honesty, he was a mess” Kibum began, “I had to take care of his work only to come back to him hunched over the sink crying”

“Was I that important to him?” Jinki looked to Kibum now.

“He walked into danger for you, I don’t think he’s done that for anyone else” Kibum answered, “The favors he asked me to keep you happy and safe” Kibum chuckled, although there was a sad look in his eyes.

“Is that why you broke up with Jonghyun?” Jinki wondered and Kibum nodded.

“Minho knew I was using him for work” Kibum revealed, “So he asked me to cut it off before I really hurt him”

“That was probably for the best” Jinki nodded to himself.

It was silent for a second, the two now looking at Minho. Soon, Kibum shot out of his seat, the slightest movement from Minho setting the two off.


	36. When I Call You

“Sh-should I get a doctor?!” Jinki asked, Minho’s erratic movements scaring him.

“I don’t know, his vitals seem fine” Kibum replied, although he didn’t sound confident.

Jinki pressed the call nurse button anyway, and the world seemed so blurry. Before they knew it the nurse had come in, quick to start checking his IVs and vitals.

“Everything seems fine, has he woken up yet?” She sounded confused and that made Jinki’s head spin.

“No, not yet” Kibum was the one to answer.

“He could have entered an REM state, does he have any type of night terrors?” The question brought Jinki out of his haze.

“I’ve never seen him move this much in his sleep, even if it was a nightmare” Kibum admitted, sounding calmer now as well.

“Has a traumatic event happened recently? Such things can give night terrors of this level” She explained.

“I’m not sure… Should we wake him up?” Kibum asked and Jinki hoped the answer was yes.

“It’s safe to wake him but he may be very confused and disoriented, although if he’s left asleep the night terror could get worse” She told them, “Since he’s having dreams it’s likely the anesthetic wore off and he slipped into sleep”

“Jinki…” There was pain in Minho’s voice, his eyes still closed and movements still troubling.

“I-I’m here” Jinki answered, unsure if Minho could even hear him.

“Do you want me to wake him up?” The nurse asked.

“Please” Kibum answered quickly, sounding desperate.

The nurse carefully shook Minho, calling his name and coaxing him out of his nightmare.

“Minho, you’re okay, it was just a dream” She explained to the confused looking Minho.

He looked from the nurse, to Kibum, then finally to Jinki, seemingly processing where he was and what was happening.

“Give him a little bit to realize what has happened, the confusion shouldn’t last long. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to press the button” She told them and turned to leave, “I’ll tell your friends he’s woken up”

The door opened and closed but Jinki’s eyes were on Minho, his shaky hand gently holding onto Minho’s.

“Kibum… Jinki… I… Why are both of you.. Here?” Minho asked, his speech slow.

“To see you, did you think they’d leave you after you scared them like that” Kibum sort of chuckled despite the silent tears.

“Everyone is here?” Minho was surprised, and Jinki choked up at the happiness in his eyes.

“Of course! You’re the reason everyone got out safe” Kibum smiled and wiped his eyes.

It was then that Minho realized Jinki was holding his hand, he turned to look at Jinki as he returned the gesture.

“Are you okay?” Minho asked, happy just to see him.

Jinki smiled through tears, “Yes, yes, I’m fine”

“Are Jonghyun and Taemin okay?” Jinki nodded at this and Minho sighed, “That’s a relief”

“Do the two of you want some alone time?” Kibum seemed to be reluctant to ask.

Minho looked to Jinki as if to ask him to say yes.

“Uh.. Y-Yeah, if you don’t mind” Jinki managed to respond and Kibum nodded.

He left the room quietly, and for a moment the couple stayed quiet, just staring at each other.

“I’m so glad you’re safe” Minho spoke first, and Jinki thought the younger would start crying.

Jinki wiped his eyes, “I’m glad you are too”

“I can’t imagine how you must feel” Minho looked down, “Everything that’s happened… I’m so sorry you had to go through that”

“I just.. Try to tell myself that I’m lucky, lucky to still be here and safe… It may not always work, but I’m trying” Jinki sighed, knowing it’d take a lot to get to a better place, but at least he could be in this moment.

“That’s good, and you have a great support group of friends” Minho smiled at the door, and it felt like he wanted to say more.

“Yeah.. I guess I do” Jinki smiled, relief finally washing over him.

The two turned to each other, and as Minho squeezed Jinki’s hand, the older could hear his heartbeat.

“I know I’ve said this before..” Minho began, and placed his other hand on top of his and Jinki’s, “But, I love you so much, Lee Jinki”


	37. I Keep Waiting For You

Suddenly his face felt wet, he knew he had started crying again, and through the blur he could see Minho crying as well. But Jinki didn’t know what to say, didn’t know if he even should speak. Minho’s words seeming more like a statement, something Minho just wanted,  _ needed _ , to tell him. Jinki knew what he wanted to say, he knew how he felt, that wasn’t the problem, it had never been the problem. He just wasn’t sure if he wanted to have such a relationship, which only led him to ask himself: what was this relationship?

They loved each other, of course they did, if they didn’t they wouldn’t be here right now. Neither were sure if they had broken up, but neither really cared all that much. What mattered to Jinki the most was if this relationship was safe.

It had already proved it wasn’t, it was far from safe, even their friends were in danger. But something still brought Jinki back to Minho, wishing he were in the younger’s arms, wanting to call him his boyfriend. Or even someday soon, his husband. But would they even make it to that? Would they live to see that day? The thoughts made Jinki cry harder, bringing one hand to cover his face.

“Jinki.. Are you okay?” Minho asked carefully.

Jinki took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind and forget the depressing thoughts.

“If… If we date.. Will we be okay?” Jinki found himself asking, “Will they be okay?”

Minho looked down, sighing to himself, “I don’t know”

The answer hurt, but Jinki was glad that Minho was being honest.

“It’s never been easy having a life outside of work. I’ve learned to be careful but.. I guess I’m still not careful enough” Minho looked dejected and Jinki gave his hand a squeeze.

“Kibum said…” Jinki paused, “You’ve never walked into danger like that before… For someone else”

Minho smiled softly, “I guess I haven’t... We never used to worry about the people who left, we just said it was for the best and moved on” His eyes met Jinki’s, “But.. I couldn’t just let you go.. Something stopped me, told me to turn around and grab your hand and never let go”

Jinki laughed a little, looking down at their hands, “That’s so sappy”

Minho giggled, “It is, isn’t it?” 

There was a pause between the two of them, Jinki deciding what to say next as Minho just admired the older.

“I.. I love you too, Choi Minho” Jinki didn’t look up, the words making him smile to himself.

Minho’s free hand came up and cupped Jinki’s cheek, and Jinki made eye contact with him. The moment almost didn’t feel real, as never in his life did Jinki think he’d be in this situation. Then he leaned forward, and Minho met him half-way, their lips connecting for the first time in what felt like ages. It was simple and quick, but it meant so much to both of them, it felt like all the stress was over.

They broke apart and just looked at each other, Minho wiping a tear from Jinki’s cheek that the older didn’t even know was there. A soft knock at the door had the couple looking to see who it was, their hands intertwined.

Jonghyun opened the door slowly, smiling as he saw his friend’s faces.

“I’m glad you’re finally awake” Jonghyun told him as he shut the door, “The nurse said it’s still two at a time, so Taemin let me go first”

“How are you holding up?” Minho asked and Jonghyun scoffed.

“You’re the one laying in a hospital bed, why are you asking me how I am?” Jonghyun joked as he came up to the end of the bed.

“Because I care about you, and I dragged you and Taemin into this” Minho explained while smiling.

“We’re fine, we have each other to depend on” Jonghyun leaned on the footboard of the bed, “How are you feeling?”

“There’s a little pain, but nothing major, did they say how long I’d be in here?” Minho asked and Jonghyun shrugged.

“Taemin was the only one who really retained any information” Jonghyun told him.

“I’ll go ask him, and he can spend some time with you” Jinki suggested and Minho nodded.

Jinki stood up and kissed Minho before leaving the hospital room, finding Taemin against the wall right outside the door.

“Hey, how long did they say he’d have to stay?” Jinki asked as he shut the door.

“Two to three days based on how fast he recovers” Taemin answered and turned around to grab something, “I got us snacks, I’m sure you’re hungry by now”

“Oh, thank you, you can go in if you want” Jinki told him as he took a drink and some bread.

“Okay, make sure Kibum gets some when he comes back” Taemin said and prepared to go in.

“Where’d he go?” Jinki asked before Taemin left.

“When he came out, he asked me and Jonghyun to get snacks. He was gone when we came back” Taemin explained and Jinki nodded as Taemin disappeared inside the room.


	38. Getting A Bit Colder

Jinki waited patiently outside of the room, half of him wanting to see Minho again and the other half worried about Kibum. After everything that’s happened, Jinki just wanted everyone to be happy and safe, so one of them missing unsettled him. Kibum stayed there until Minho woke up, for him to just disappear after barely talking to the younger felt off. But then again, Jinki didn’t know Kibum like Minho did. In fact, no one knows him like Minho does, at least not to Jinki’s knowledge.

Jonghyun stepped out of the room and brought Jinki out of his thoughts.

“Do you want to go back in?” He asked, pointing at the door.

Jinki wanted to say yes, but now Kibum was troubling him.

“Maybe later, can I use your phone?” Jinki stood up and gave Jonghyun a smile.

“Is yours dead?” Jonghyun asked as he pulled his out.

“No, I just don’t have Kibum’s number” Jinki was honest as Jonghyun handed over his phone.

“Why do you need to get in contact with him?” Jonghyun was curious, but Jinki could tell he wasn’t happy to be talking about Kibum.

“He’s been gone for a while, I’m worried” Jinki told him as he unlocked the phone and found Kibum’s contact, calling him.

“Good luck on getting an answer” Jonghyun forced a smile and sat down.

The first two times he was sent to voicemail, and part of him expected that, it was almost at the end of the third attempt that Kibum answered.

“What do you want?” His tone was cold, but there was something under it that Jinki couldn’t make out.

“It’s Jinki, I was wondering where you went, we got you some food” Jinki kept his tone friendly.

“I’m.. outside, getting some fresh air” Kibum was hesitant to answer.

“Well, hurry back, I’m sure Minho wants to talk to you” Jinki smiled into the phone, “And this bread-“

“Jinki” Kibum interrupted, “Can we talk? Outside?”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll be right there” Jinki was confused, but something told him he shouldn’t ask questions.

They hung up after that, and Jinki returned the phone to Jonghyun, then he turned to leave.

“Wait, where are you going?” Jonghyun asked.

“Kibum wanted to talk to me” Jinki told him, noticing Jonghyun’s worried look.

“You’re going to be with him, alone?” Jonghyun stood up, ready to follow.

“I’ll be fine, he just wants to talk, plus we’re in a public place” Jinki smiled at him to calm him down.

Jinki walked out of the front entrance of the hospital, trying to forget the feeling he had when he walked in. The dark sky gave Jinki a sense of what time it was, something he had been forgetting to check since they got here. The past day was beginning to feel like a blur as he looked around for Kibum.

“Jinki” Kibum called out, walking closer.

Jinki met him halfway, smiling at the younger, which only got him a confused look.

“What’d you want to talk about?” Jinki asked and Kibum looked to his feet.

“I didn’t think about how to start this, it suddenly feels awkward” Kibum sighed as a gust of wind flew through them.

“Just say it outright, you’re my friend, I’ll listen” The words rolled off of Jinki’s tongue.

Kibum looked up at him, his expression almost sad, but there was some kind of hope in his eyes.

“I don’t get it..” Kibum shook his head, “What part of my actions makes you want to be my friend?”

“It’s thanks to you that those people didn’t torture me-“

“I did that for Minho, not you” Kibum was quick to respond, but Jinki thought he heard a bit of regret in his voice.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t be happy about it” Jinki replied and Kibum nodded, his eyes looking down again.

“What happened to you being scared of me? Threatening me with a bat?” Kibum had his confident voice back.

“After all of this.. I just feel like you wouldn’t hurt me” Jinki told him honestly, “Even if I was right”

“Right about what?” Kibum was giving him an interested look.

“Ah.. well, those ‘suicides’ around the time I first moved here, the Thai place and the food truck, I thought they were you” Jinki managed, having not thought of the incidents for a while.

Kibum chuckled, “You’re very observant, but you’re only half right, only the food truck guy was me” Kibum clarified and Jinki wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

“Then who..?” Jinki stopped himself as he remembered Minho that night, the ‘sauce’ covered takeout boxes and him taking the trash out.

“Seems to me you found the answer yourself” Kibum smiled and Jinki nodded, “..Are you two going to stay together?”

“I hope so” Jinki answered, “Now that everything's out in the open, maybe we can become closer”

“You’re not put off by his profession?” Kibum was playing twenty questions.

“I can’t say that I’m not.. But I don’t want to let him go either” Jinki was conflicted, “I’d rather listen to my heart than my mind I guess”

“Good” The response had Jinki looking at Kibum, “Then I guess everything will work itself out”

Jinki was more confused than he’d ever been, “What do you mean?”

“I mean everyone will still be happy” Kibum sounded like he was going to say more.

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Kibum didn’t meet Jinki’s gaze.

“Because…” Kibum took a deep breath, “I’m leaving”


	39. There's A Vortex

“I have money saved under an alias, I plan to go to another country, maybe somewhere in Europe” Kibum didn’t sound excited.

“Why?” Was all Jinki could think to ask, he didn’t want to stop Kibum if this was something he actually wanted.

“Why not? I’m young, I could explore the world” Kibum answered, almost sounding like he was trying to convince himself.

“Is that the truth?” Jinki found himself concerned for the younger.

“Why do you care?” Kibum glared at him.

“You’re my friend, Kibum” Jinki saw his gaze soften at the word.

“Pretty sure friends don’t attempt to kill your other friends” Kibum scoffed.

“Were you planning on telling everyone goodbye?” Jinki ignored the information, deciding to talk about it another time.

“I don’t have to, I don’t belong so no one would mind” Kibum answered, hurt by his own words.

“Who says you don’t belong? Who says we wouldn’t miss you?” Jinki asked, making Kibum audibly sigh.

“I thought you’d be happy, your boyfriend’s ex getting out of the picture, the person you never trusted leaving, why are you trying to get me to stay?” Kibum tried to sound irritated.

“I don’t want you to make a decision you’ll regret” Jinki told him simply, Kibum nodding.

“How are all of you like this? Why don’t any of you hate me by now?!” Kibum shocked both of them by yelling.

Jinki paused for a moment, “Because.. Deep down, I don’t think you’re as bad as you think you are”

There was a silence as Kibum looked away, both thinking about what was said. Then, Kibum began to laugh, softly at first, gradually growing louder.

“Me? A murderer?  _ Not _ being a bad person?” Kibum covered his mouth as he laughed more, now unsettling Jinki, “Just because Minho’s got a conscience doesn’t mean I do, you think I felt bad for all those people?! You think I couldn’t go back on my word and kill Taemin?!” Kibum got closer, but Jinki stood his ground, not letting the younger have the satisfaction of scaring him.

“Then why haven’t you?” Jinki’s voice was steady, and Kibum looked surprised, “I’m sure you’ve had plenty of chances, what’s stopping you?” Jinki held no anger in his gaze, there was almost nothing in it at all.

Kibum just stared at Jinki in a mix of defiance and loss for words, the older holding the stare with a now somewhat cold look.

Kibum took a deep breath, “Do you just want your friend to die?!” Kibum grabbed Jinki’s shirt, but the older didn’t flinch, as if he expected Kibum to lash out.

The younger waited for Jinki to speak, anger filling him as the air between them stayed still.

“Fine” Kibum let go of Jinki, “When you find Taemin’s lifeless body, you can tell everyone it’s your fault” Kibum glared at the older, holding it as he turned around and walked away.


	40. I Need To Withstand

Jinki took a deep breath as Kibum walked out of sight, trying to convince himself that he was right, that Kibum wouldn’t be able to do it. He held back the start of tears, his ringtone calming him down a bit, smiling at Jonghyun’s name on the screen.

“Hello?” Jinki answered, turning to enter the hospital.

“Did you find Kibum?” Taemin’s voice made his stomach flip.

“Ah.. Yeah, he left early” Jinki swallowed the lump in his throat, “Why’d you call on Jonghyun’s phone?”

“I left mine in the car, are you headed back?” Taemin asked.

“Yes, I just walked back in” Jinki was trying to keep his voice steady.

“Are you okay?” Taemin’s voice was gentle now.

“I’m fine, I’ll see you soon” Jinki insisted, hanging up before the younger could ask anything else.

He made a beeline for the closest bathroom, knowing the tears were coming, he’d rather let them out then cry in front of everyone. He didn’t want them asking what was wrong, he didn’t want to scare them, Jinki just hoped he could trust Kibum. For now, he let the ‘what if’s get to him, crying to himself in a hopefully vacant bathroom.

After a few breathing exercises and some wads of tear covered paper towels, Jinki started back on the path back to his friends. On the way, he thought up a list of excuses in case he were to break down again, wanting to keep the conversation with Kibum as secret as possible. He put on his brightest smile as Taemin came into view, waiting outside of Minho’s room for him.

“There you are” Taemin smiled back, “Jonghyun’s inside, but if you want to be alone with Minho he said he’ll-”

Jinki cut the younger off with a hug, one that Jinki knew was probably too tight or too emotional, but he needed to get it out of him. Taemin hugged back, although shocked by the older.

“Sorry, I’m just glad we’re all safe” Jinki lied as they broke apart.

“Don’t be sorry, I understand” Taemin’s smile almost broke Jinki’s heart.

Jinki couldn’t help the sad smile that spread itself on his face as he stared at Taemin.

“I’ll go in now” Jinki announced somewhat awkwardly, not wanting to worry the younger.

Taemin nodded as Jinki opened the door, Jonghyun and Minho’s smiles aimed at him, making his heart feel warm again, if only for a second.

“Do you two want to be alone?” Jonghyun asked, and Jinki wasted no time nodding.

Jonghyun got up, patting Jinki’s back as he passed, and Jinki was thankful he didn’t ask about the talk with Kibum. Jinki took a seat by Minho’s bed, and the two were silent until they heard the door close.

“How are you feeling?” Jinki started, trying to sound normal.

“A little uncomfortable, but that’s to be expected” Minho answered, carefully placing his hand over Jinki’s.

They smiled at each other, but Jinki’s smile was cut short, the older looking down in shame as he thought about Kibum again.

“Did something happen?” Minho asked and Jinki quickly shook his head.

“No, no, I was just thinking about how grateful I am that everyone is safe” Jinki told the lie again, squeezing Minho’s hand.

Minho didn’t press further, and Jinki internally sighed in relief.

“Did Kibum leave already?” Minho asked.

“Yeah, he left early” Jinki took a deep breath.

“Are you sure everything’s alright?” Jinki dreaded that question.

He nodded at first, not wanting to answer, looking up at the wall instead of at Minho.

“Jinki” Minho spoke softly, “If something’s wrong, even if I can’t fix it, I’m here to listen, to take part of the burden away” Jinki couldn’t help tearing up at this.

Minho wiped Jinki’s tears with his free hand, Jinki cursing himself for slipping in front of him.

“I’m sorry” Jinki apologized and Minho shook his head.

“Don’t be, it’s okay” Minho smiled sweetly, now holding Jinki’s hand with both of his.

Jinki smiled back shortly, his head dropping down to look at their hands as he considered what he was going to say next.

“Minho.. Do you..” Jinki paused, “Do you trust Kibum?” Jinki looked at Minho with a sense of desperation.

“What is this about?” Minho asked.

“I just wanna know, do you trust him?” Jinki insisted, too ashamed to tell the truth.

“Is everything okay? Did Kibum-”

“Just answer me, please, Minho” Jinki pleaded, becoming scared of the answer.

Minho nodded, “He’s one of my closest friends so.. Yes, I do”

Jinki was happy with the answer, but it felt like only a piece of the boulder on his shoulders had been taken off.

“Ah.. That’s good then” Jinki had a small smile as he looked at the floor.


	41. This Uneasy Night

Jinki insisted he stay at the hospital with Minho, while Minho insisted they all go home and get some good rest. Although, Taemin didn’t have to be told twice, telling the couple goodbye and happily leaving the hospital. Minho let him and Jonghyun take his car, saying it was dangerous to walk home this late, the two also insisting they call Jinki when they arrive home. Taemin was grateful to have such caring friends, even if he thought it was a bit much.

“There it is” Taemin announced as he pulled his phone out from under the passenger seat.

“How’d it get all the way under there?” Jonghyun asked in shock.

“I wish I knew” Taemin laughed, closing the back door only to open the front door.

“I guess I’m dropping you off?” Jonghyun turned to Taemin from the driver’s seat.

“Yes please” Taemin spoke formally as if he was in a taxi.

“You better give me a good tip” Jonghyun joked.

“Yes, sir” Taemin laughed as Jonghyun started the car.

As they began to leave, a certain kind of happiness washed over Taemin. Despite everything, they were happy and safe, even Jinki and Minho had pushed through and were dating again. Taemin laid back in his seat, the same seat that hours ago he sat anxiously in as Minho explained things he never thought he’d hear. And he thinks he must’ve dozed off because before he knew it they were in front of his house, Jonghyun’s hand on his.

“This is your stop” Jonghyun smiled at the younger.

Taemin unbuckled and smiled back, “Thank you for driving me”

“Of course” Jonghyun replied and Taemin began to get out of the car, “Where’s my tip?!” Jonghyun pretended to be upset.

Taemin laughed and turned around, leaning across the center console to peck Jonghyun’s cheek. Jonghyun smiled shyly, grabbing Taemin’s hand and pulling him in for a proper kiss. It didn’t last long, but it still took Taemin’s breath away.

The two looked at each other for a second, “Does this mean?” Taemin asked and Jonghyun just nodded.

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow and we’ll go see Minho and Jinki and tell them the good news” Jonghyun told him and Taemin’s smile grew.

“I can’t wait” Taemin replied, then turned to leave the car.

“Don’t forget to call Jinki! I love you!” Jonghyun called after him.

“Okay, I love you too!” Taemin called back, shutting the door.

He watched his now boyfriend drive off, a smile stuck to his face as he pulled out his phone and dialed Jinki.

“Hello?” Jinki answered.

“Hey, Jonghyun just dropped me off, I made it home safe” Taemin told him, turning to his gate.

“That’s a relief” Jinki sighed as if a weight had been lifted.

“Were you really that worried?” Taemin asked and opened the gate.

“I guess I’m still a little high-strung” Jinki admitted and Taemin nodded, “Goodnight, I’ll see you soon”

“Sleep well, see you tomorrow” Taemin replied, hanging up and pocketing his phone.

He smiled to himself, a skip in his step as he walked down the overgrown stone path to his door, almost not hearing what sounded like a footstep behind him. Taemin turned around, expecting a squirrel or a cat, fear settling in him as he saw a silhouette approaching him. He was about to rush to his door when the person lifted their head, Kibum’s familiar face bringing him relief.

“Kibum, you scared me” Taemin put a hand to his chest, “What are you doing here?”

“I was just in the neighborhood” Kibum shrugged, coming closer, something about him worrying Taemin.

“I didn’t hear the gate open, were you waiting for me?” Taemin asked, Kibum still inching closer.

“You weren’t home so I waited” Kibum confirmed, now directly in front of Taemin.

“Did you want to talk about something?” Taemin couldn’t read the older’s expression.

Kibum didn’t answer, instead looking Taemin up and down, the younger getting the same feeling he got when they first met. Taemin stepped back at this, a sudden fear washing over him.

“Kibum?” His voice was becoming shaky now, the older beginning to scare him.

“Don’t be scared, Taeminnie” Kibum smiled, but it didn’t make Taemin feel any better, “This won’t take long” That’s when Taemin realized Kibum had his hands in his hoodie pocket.

Kibum pulled one hand out, smiling as Taemin watched the empty hand, only for his other hand to come out. Taemin felt his blood run cold as Kibum’s other hand came up, a hand gun pointed at his face.

“I’m really sorry about this” Kibum cocked the gun and Taemin swallowed hard.


	42. Look At Me, Look At This

Kibum was reveling in the younger’s fear, forgetting how much he loved this. He took it slow, his finger not on the trigger yet, his smile growing as he slowly brought his finger down. That’s when Taemin saw an opening.

The younger tackled Kibum, something he honestly wasn’t expecting, the gun falling to the ground as they did too. Kibum had to catch his breath, cursing himself for being careless, only to find Taemin quickly had him pinned.

“What are you doing?!” Taemin was scared and Kibum liked it.

“What does it look like? I’m finishing the job” Kibum smirked, but part of him hurt when Taemin’s eyes turned sad.

“But the loan sharks are dead! You and Minho got rid of them!” Taemin was desperate to understand, “Why are you suddenly after me?”

“Because I’m an assassin, Taemin, killing is what I do!” Kibum brought one leg up and kicked Taemin in the stomach, making the younger loosen his grip so Kibum could slip out.

Kibum now had Taemin pinned, his hands around his neck, the panic in Taemin’s eyes not making him smile like he thought it would.

“Kibum.. Ple-ase” Taemin choked out, hands on Kibum’s.

He found his grip loosening, but his hands were still on Taemin’s throat. Taemin coughed a little, taking large breaths in to regain what he’d lost. Kibum removed one hand, using it to pull out a knife to hold up to the younger’s neck to keep him still.

“Don’t do this, Kibum” Taemin pleaded, “If you do, you’ll be alone” 

“How do you still have sympathy for someone holding a knife to your throat?!” Kibum was angry and added pressure to the knife.

“Because you’re my friend” There was that word again, Kibum was beginning to hate it.

“Liar!” Kibum yelled, “You’re just saying that so I won’t slit your throat! You and Jinki just throw that word around and hope it gets you what you want!” Kibum was outraged, but something was still stopping him from hurting Taemin.

“Why would I lie to you? After everything, why?” Taemin asked, tears welling up.

“What a dumb question, I’m holding your life in my hands!” Kibum held the knife up to his face for emphasis.

“Then why do you keep giving me chances to escape? Taking your time with the gun? Stopping choking me? Even now you haven’t even cut me with that knife, Kibum” Taemin pointed out, a tear falling.

“I’m not, I could end your life in an instant” Kibum insisted, placing the knife back to his throat.

“Then why haven’t you?” His voice was shaky, and Kibum got flashbacks to him and Jinki’s conversation.

Why hasn’t he? Killing comes easy to him, yet he couldn’t bring himself to even hurt Taemin. It was for Minho, it had to be, Minho was his only weakness. If he killed Minho’s friend then he would’ve made him cry, and he hated seeing Minho cry. Yes, that was it, it’s all Minho’s fault, for making Kibum fall in love and giving him a weakness.

“S-Stop” Taemin’s voice was full of pain, and Kibum looked down to see a dark red line on the side of his neck.

He pulled the knife away, silently glad that the cut wasn’t deep. Kibum didn’t know what to say, part of his heart hurt to see the blood beginning to come out of the younger. Did he actually care for him? Surely not, he’s just Minho’s friend, and Minho wouldn’t want to see his friend hurt so neither did Kibum.

“Kibum?” Taemin asked despite the lingering fear in his eyes.

“Why.. Do you consider me your friend?” Kibum was genuinely curious.

“Because you’re part of the reason I’m here right now, even if that wasn’t your original plan” Taemin told him.

“But that doesn’t excuse what I almost did” Kibum got off of the younger.

“You saved my life instead of taking it” Taemin sat up beside him.

“I was about to take it tonight” Kibum looked at the knife in disgust, “Over what? My pride?” Kibum was angry at himself now.

“Are you okay?” Kibum was surprised at the question.

“You’d rather ask a murderer if he’s okay instead of running away?” Kibum gave the younger a somber look.

“Of course, you’re human too” Taemin nodded and Kibum couldn’t help the small smile that crossed his lips.

“I’m glad you think so” Kibum looked down at his hands, tossing the knife to the side, “I guess you guys know me better than I thought”

The two sat in silence for a little bit, Kibum trying to put his thoughts together. On one hand he told himself it was just because of Minho, but on the other he began to consider the fact that they were his friends too. It was still a hard thing to wrap his head around, these people he had seemingly terrorized wanted to be his friend, but he guessed emotions were a lot more complex than that.

“Would you say.. That we’re friends?” Kibum asked carefully, still afraid Taemin might run.

“I think we are” Taemin confirmed, and although Kibum had heard it before he still couldn’t quite believe it.

“You’re serious? You’re not just saying that?” Kibum had to be sure before he made his final decision.

Taemin didn’t answer with words, instead he pulled the older into a hug, and Kibum doesn’t remember the last true hug he’s had. At least, the last true one that wasn’t with Minho. Kibum held back tears as he found himself hugging Taemin back, but he couldn’t stop the tears from spilling over onto the younger’s shoulder. He had a friend, not a work friend, not some pawn to get to his victim, not just Minho, he had another real life  _ friend _ .

“I’m sorry” Kibum sputtered out, suddenly overly emotional, “I didn’t think anyone but Minho could… Or ever would… Consider me their friend”

Taemin rubbed his back for comfort, “It’s okay” Kibum hid his face in the younger’s shoulder.

The shock of forgiveness hit him for the second time, but it was just as hard. Him, a killer, and Taemin, his victim, forgiving him. And that’s when Kibum decided, there was no way he was leaving his friends. The weakness Kibum had always hated having had quadrupled, but this time he wasn’t mad.

Kibum finally allowed himself to be weak.


	43. Outside Of My Window

There was a moment of relief when Jinki saw Jonghyun and Taemin outside of Minho’s room, he was happy to see Kibum hadn’t gotten to his friend yet.

“Hey guys” Jinki called, waving at his friends.

They smiled and waved back, greetings flowing out as Jinki hugged them both at once.

“How’s Minho been?” Taemin asked, and that’s when Jinki noticed the bandage.

“Recovering as normal, what happened there?” Jinki was worried now, had Kibum tried and failed? Would he try again?

“Oh, neighborhood cat, she’s usually nice but I guess I held her too long” Taemin talked with his hands, and Jonghyun reached to grab one as if calming him down.

“I made sure he cleaned it, didn’t want it getting infected” Jonghyun added, and Jinki nodded.

“I hope it heals quickly” Jinki told him, “Do you two want to go in first?”

Taemin nodded and Jonghyun smiled at the younger.

“Before we go, we have something to tell you” Jonghyun brought his smile to Jinki.

Taemin joined Jonghyun in smiling at their friend, bringing their linked hands up, “We started dating last night”

Jinki was the last to smile, clapping for his friends, “I’m so happy for you two!”

“Thank you” Jonghyun was blushing now and Taemin was admiring his boyfriend.

“Now hurry up and get in there, Minho will want to hear the good news!” Jinki gestured to the door and the couple complied, leaving Jinki alone in the hall.

He sat down in one of the chairs, his smile sticking to his face from the news. Although, it didn’t last long as he thought back to Kibum, now scared for the couple’s future. Minho’s trust in Kibum gave Jinki a sliver of hope, but it wasn’t enough as he found himself cursing himself for putting Taemin’s life on the line for what seemed to be the second time. What kind of a friend was he? All he knew was that he wasn’t a good one, not anymore.

“Lee Jinki?” The voice brought him out of his thoughts, making him stand to face the figure.

As he got closer, he could make out Kibum’s face, the younger beginning to jog towards him.

“Kibum?” Jinki asked as the man kept his pace, finally crashing into Jinki.

The hug took him by surprise, he didn’t think Kibum was the type to hug people, especially not Jinki. But Jinki hugged back, not wanting the kind act to be in vain. They pulled apart and Kibum’s smile confused Jinki.

“Why are you so happy?” Jinki asked, smiling a little himself.

“I just, I’m starting to realize that I have friends that aren't Minho” Kibum was truthful, “And, I wanted to tell you that you don’t have to worry about Taemin”

“You mean?” Jinki felt lighter as Kibum nodded.

“And I’m not leaving either, you guys are my friends” Everytime Kibum said that, he seemed to get happier.

“That’s great!” Jinki smiled, “Taemin and Jonghyun are in there right now, if you want alone time with Minho then I’ll wait to go in”

Kibum shook his head, “I’ll be fine, I need to talk to Jonghyun anyway, he deserves an apology” Jinki’s shock at Kibum would be an understatement, he was completely bewildered.

“What changed you so much in a short amount of time?” Jinki chuckled and Kibum joined him.

“I guess I had a sort of revelation” Kibum was serious, but Jinki nodded in understanding.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here to stay”


	44. In The Wind

Jonghyun didn’t expect to see Kibum when he walked out of Minho’s room, he especially didn’t expect Jinki to leave the two of them alone in the hallway. He refused to make eye contact as he decided to go straight for the bathroom, that’s what he had stepped out to do anyway.

“Jonghyun” Kibum’s voice was soft, and he didn’t think he’d ever hear it like that again.

Jonghyun turned around reluctantly, “What do you want?”

“To apologize, for using you, and then breaking it off like that” Kibum’s gaze told him the younger was serious.

“Why all of a sudden? Why now do you feel sorry?! What changed?!” Jonghyun couldn’t help getting mad.

“I had a talk with Taemin and-“

“You mean last night when you almost killed him?!” Jonghyun interrupted and Kibum looked down.

“You know about that” Kibum sounded dejected, the tone unfitting of the usually confident Kibum.

“He’s not a good liar Kibum, and who else would hold a knife to Taemin’s throat?!” Jonghyun had stepped towards Kibum now.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t in my right mind” Kibum confessed, and Jonghyun was getting fed up with how sad he sounded.

“Why don’t you sound like you usually do?! The cockiness and confidence, where’d it go?! Or is this just you showing off your  _ great _ acting?!” He imitated the way Kibum had said that to him just days ago.

Kibum was silent now and it unsettled Jonghyun, did he go too far? Was he in danger? He watched as Kibum got down on his knees, bending down and formally bowing to Jonghyun.

“What are you doing?” Jonghyun didn’t know how to feel.

“I’ve made many mistakes and I’m so very sorry, but I want to make it up to you somehow… I want to be your friend” Jonghyun was shocked at the younger, was he really serious?

“Kibum, are you just playing around? Or are you actually serious about this?” He really couldn’t believe Kibum had changed so suddenly.

“I’m serious, I don’t want to fight with you anymore, I want you all to be able to trust me and call me your friend” Kibum insisted and Jonghyun nodded to himself.

“Well then get up, I can’t say I forgive you, but I’m not going to let you continue to embarrass yourself” Jonghyun watched him stand, a small smile on his lips.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me, especially not so soon” Kibum told him, dusting off his pants.

Jonghyun just nodded, turning his back to the younger to head to the bathroom. He was trying to wrap his head around the situation, his ex boyfriend, who has tried to kill his current boyfriend, twice, now wanted to put all that behind them and be friends? He shook his head, this wasn’t how he saw things going. Sure Kibum protected Jinki and helped them with Minho, and Taemin had even told him about how Kibum took out the loan sharks. But, he couldn’t just forgive him and move on, and he was sure he wasn’t the only one.

Jonghyun left the bathroom and headed back to Minho’s room, shocked to see Kibum and Taemin hugging. He pinched himself, maybe this was some kind of weird stress dream, but he didn’t wake up. Was he really the only one who still didn’t trust the assassin?

“Jonghyun!” Taemin smiled at him, and Jonghyun did his best to return the favor through his confusion.

“Are you close with Kibum now?” Jonghyun tried not to sound irritated.

“Ah, yeah, I helped him calm down after we gave Minho to the nurses” Taemin relayed the same information he had yesterday, “I guess some things just bond people”

“I guess so” Jonghyun couldn’t help the side eye he gave Kibum, “Is Jinki in there?”

“Yes, he wanted to be alone with Minho” Kibum answered, “It looks like he’ll get to go home tomorrow”

“That’s great, things will go back to normal” Jonghyun smiled at the door as Taemin linked their hands.

“We should plan a surprise party for him, as a thank you” Taemin suggested, looking at Jonghyun.

“I have a spare key we can use” Kibum added, although it unsettled Jonghyun.

He took a breath and remembered Kibum and Minho were close, calming himself down.

“We better start planning then” Jonghyun smiled and pulled out his phone.

The couple started making a list, Kibum chiming in a few times in an awkward attempt to help, and Jonghyun knew it was his fault he was so awkward. So, he tried to fix it, for Taemin’s sake.

“What’s Minho’s favorite food? I’m sure he’ll want something good after all this hospital food” Jonghyun smiled at Kibum.

“Ah, he loves ramen, so much he could live off of it” Kibum smiled back, “He has pretty cheap taste”

Jonghyun’s jaw dropped as Taemin chuckled, “All that money and he would rather have ramen? Not lobster?”

Kibum nodded and joined Taemin in laughing, “Ridiculous, right?”

The couple agreed as they added it to the list on Jonghyun’s phone, but Kibum’s ringtone interrupted them. Kibum pulled his phone out of his pocket, looking at the caller ID in annoyance.

“I thought I took the week off” Kibum mumbled, “I’m sorry, I’ll be right back”

Jonghyun just watched him answer the phone and walk off, not realizing his judgemental stare until Taemin poked him.

“Hey, don’t look like that, Minho does the same thing” Taemin reminded him.

“Sorry” Jonghyun looked back to his phone, “I guess I’m just not as close to Kibum”

“Oh, are you not?” Taemin sarcastically shot back, taking Jonghyun’s phone to add to the list.

“Is it that obvious?” Jonghyun asked and Taemin nodded.

“I mean, I understand, and thanks for trying to be friendly” Taemin gave him a small smile.

“I just don’t trust him” Jonghyun looked back to Kibum who was nodding to himself.

“That’s okay, I wouldn’t say I fully trust him either, but I know he’s trying to change” Taemin replied, “And after our talk yesterday, I say all he needs right now are friends”

Jonghyun nodded, “I’ll do my best, but I might need a bigger push then his little apology” He continued to watch as Kibum hung up and walked back to them.

“Does Minho not have his phone?” Kibum asked, still holding his phone.

“I don’t know, it may still be with his clothes” Taemin answered.

“Apparently he has an urgent contract” Kibum told them, and Jonghyun thought he was oversharing.

“Isn’t that classified?” Jonghyun was confused.

“The person is, but you already know his profession so I don’t see a reason to keep it a secret” Kibum replied, checking his phone, “I’m supposed to get a text with the file, I’ll show it to Minho when Jinki gets done”

“So, are assassins able to talk to each other about contracts?” Taemin wondered.

“As long as we work for the same company, there’s no rules against it unless the boss says there is” Kibum told them, opening his phone when it lit up.

“Ah okay” Taemin responded, not noticing how Kibum’s eyes began to widen in shock.

“What is it?” Jonghyun asked and Kibum began to shake his head.

“God damn it Minho, you just had to be the good guy, huh?!” Kibum was a mix of irritated and upset, “I’m sorry, I’ll be back”

Kibum held his phone so tight Jonghyun thought it would break as he forcefully opened the hospital door. The couple shared a look, confused but also worried for the latter.


End file.
